You have heard it before, but I’ll say it again; college is the best time of your life. You’ll make memories that will last a lifetime with friends who will always have your back. College is four years of your life that will go by way too fast, and once it is gone, there is no getting it back. After graduation we all have to enter the real world and assume full adult responsibility for our lives, but before we do so, let’s make sure that we take full advantage of our time here at HWS!
If you haven’t realized it yet, college offers us many things that we will not be fortunate enough to experience after we graduate. So, before you put on that cap and gown and walk across the steps of Coxe Hall to receive your diploma, make sure that you value everything that your college experience has to offer!
1. Food
Sure, Saga isn’t known for its gourmet meals or decadent cuisine, in fact most of us are shocked when we find something that we actually enjoy enough to get second helpings. However, food is food, and we can’t deny our love for food. It’s also nice that our meals are prepared for us, and ready for our devouring when we want it. After college, we will have to prepare our own meals. We have all probably mastered boiling the water for our mac and cheese or pouring just the right amount of milk for our cereal, but after college, we may not be able to survive on such a minimalistic diet. If you lack talent in the kitchen, then you should start appreciating having a cafeteria at your disposal while you still have one.
2. Sleep
Ahhhh sleep… in college, our lives revolve around sleep. When we wake up in the morning we are already looking forward to getting back in bed that night. Let’s be honest, most of us probably squeeze in a nap (or two) throughout the day. Between classes, studying, homework, hanging out with friends, and watching our allotted amount of Netflix episodes, our lives are extremely busy and exhausting. Unfortunately, once we get to the real world, we are going to long for the days that we could sleep in before classes and take naps mid day. For those of us who get a nine to five job after graduation, sleeping in late and napping will be tossed out the window. So take advantage of every 14-minute nap that you can take before your 1:20 class, because you will without a doubt miss it in a couple years.
3. The Gym
We may not visit the gym as often as we should, but we should definitely change that before we graduate. Gym memberships are expensive, but not in college! For us, our membership to Bristol Field House is free (if you ignore that little thing called tuition). Not only are we provided access to a wide variety of workout machines, but we are also able to go to group exercise classes that would cost us a fortune to attend after graduation. Take advantage of spinning, yoga, pilates, zumba, and more before it’s too late. Working out is a lot easier when you suffer with friends, so grab some buddies and get to the gym!
4. Dressing Casually
“Leggings aren’t pants” – said no female college student ever. The days that we can squeeze ourselves into jeans are few and far between, but when we do we consider that “dressing up.” After college, jeans will become casual, and leggings will be unacceptable. In the real world we will have to dress professionally and look presentable every day of the week. It will be quite the adjustment. So enjoy the days that you can throw on a hat because you were too lazy to shower, because after college this will not be an option.
5. Living with your best friends
Going to school on such a small campus ensures that we all live within about 5 minutes of our best friends. When you need to procrastinate on your homework or just want to spend hours talking about the irrelevant piece of gossip you overheard in Saga, our friends are always just a short walk away, down the hall, or they may even be your own roommate! After graduation, you will be lucky if your best friends even live in the same state as you. Seeing your friends everyday may no longer be an option, so make the most of the time you have with them.
Whether you are a first year, sophomore, junior, or senior, you still have time to cherish these five things. So eat lots of food, sleep often, take advantage of the gym, dress however you want, spend time with you friends, and squeeze in some time for studying if you can! College is a once in a lifetime experience and it is up to you to make the most of it.