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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Colby chapter.

And just like that, my four years at Colby are over. Sometimes I really wonder where all the time went; I remember moving into my freshman dorm (Dana third floor, baby) like it was yesterday. So many possibilities– the nerves and the excitement all wrapped together. As a graduating senior, those feelings have returned as I prepare to leave campus and start the next chapter of my life.

Naturally, my time at Colby has not always been easy. As Dickens so aptly put it, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” But even so, I look back most of my time here fondly. For my final Her Campus article, I have compiled a small playlist of the songs that have carried me this rollercoaster of a senior year. With annotations, of course.

“By and By” – Caamp

Key Lyric: “And this past year I got so much older / Lookin’ back over my life / Spent the most of it tongue-tied / I wish I’d had more time”

I will admit that most of these songs are on my “driving in Maine” playlist, and this one is no exception. Spending senior year in a pandemic has been challenging in more ways than one– not only did we have the normal senior uncertainty of what’s next looming, but COVID brought a whole other layer of uncertainty in our everyday lives. I really have felt so much older this past year.

“Going Gets Tough” – The Growlers

Key Lyric: “Still always remembering / When the going gets tough / That the labor of our love / Will reward us soon enough”

I have made some of the most incredible friendships over these four years here, and I know that they will continue to be focal points in my life. When the going got tough at Colby, I always had people to lean on, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

“Like Real People Do” – Hozier

Key Lyric: “Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips / We should just kiss like real people do”

I had a hard time choosing which Hozier song to add to this playlist and finally settled on something light. Listen to this song while sitting on Miller Lawn or by Johnson Pond, and you’ll see why I chose it. Immaculate vibes. 

“Fallingwater” – Maggie Rogers

Key Lyric: “I never loved you fully in the way I could / I fought the current running just the way you would”

There are some things I wish I had done at Colby – climbed Mount Katahdin, done a snow hike, seen a moose – but alas. My time here is up. I sometimes wish I had done the little things and not been so anxious about the grades. “Take the carrot” as my family says- you’ll regret more the things you don’t do than the things you did. 

“Peace” – Taylor Swift

Key Lyric: “Our coming-of-age has come and gone / Suddenly this summer, it’s clear”

T. Swift doesn’t miss. The lyrics are true– all of a sudden I’m all grown up and it’s time to figure out my life in the real world. The possibilities are both terrifying and exciting.

“Maine” – Noah Kahan

Key Lyric: “I wanna go to Maine” 

That’s it. The lyric says it all. I haven’t left Maine yet and I already miss it. Cue the tears.

Sydney is a senior at Colby originally from Wilmette, Illinois. She is a German Studies and English double major with a concentration in creative writing. On campus, Sydney is a COOT leader, member of Colby Dance Company, barista in the Mary Low Coffee House, a language assistant, and president of Colby's chapter of HC. When she isn't working, dancing, or writing, you can probably find her laughing at her own jokes or talking about the Midwest.