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Life

College Goes by Too Fast. Let’s Learn to Romanticize It.

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

As busy college students, it’s easy to turn on autopilot. We have so much to do and sometimes it’s hard to take a step back. I know I often focus so much on doing my homework and studying, that I forget that I’m even in college. Everyone always says to appreciate your college years, because they will be the best years of our lives. As I near the end of my third year at Villanova, I am realizing just how quickly it’s going by. It seems like yesterday that I stepped into my freshman dorm for the first time! I am working on being more appreciative of my college years by romanticizing my life and not taking any of it for granted. Here are three things I have implemented to accomplish this.  

Dedicating time for your friends  

When I have a lot of work to complete, I tend to hole up in a study room. I’ll end up avoiding my friends for hours or even days depending on how much time I spend doing assignments. Of course, I want to spend time with my friends, and I have found that the only way to do this is to prioritize my time with them. I need to dedicate a specific time to hang out with them. This way, I will complete my schoolwork before our dedicated time to hang out. Additionally, it’s important to communicate this to your friends so they don’t think you are totally disregarding them. I would explain to them that you are very busy but would like to dedicate a few hours to spending time together. Then, you and your friends can find a time that works for everyone.  

Taking pictures and videos  

Time goes by in the blink of an eye in college. I have started taking pictures and videos of pretty much everything I do so that when I am older, I can reminisce on my time at Villanova. Cooking dinner with my roommates may not seem photogenic right now, but I know I will appreciate the memories when we are older and live far apart. I also have begun putting these pictures and videos into daily TikToks. Though I’m not able to do it every day, it’s made me start romanticizing my life. Creating a video diary of each day shows me how special every day I get at Villanova is. Whether all I do is go to class and do homework, or I get to spend the day with my friends, or I am traveling, the videos help me appreciate every minute I get here. The goal is not necessarily to slow time down, but rather to help me romanticize the time as it happens.  

Scrapbooking and Journaling  

The last thing I have implemented in my life to appreciate my time is scrapbooking and journaling. I began doing this when I studied abroad in Vienna, Austria, during the summer of 2022. I knew that the two months would be over in what felt like a minute, so I wrote a few sentences each day. No matter how small or seemingly irrelevant, I wrote it down. I added some type of memento from each day into the journal as well. These ranged from the wrapping on a sugar cube from a new café I tried that day, to my plane ticket to Paris for the weekend. Now I look back on my time abroad and know that I appreciated every minute I had there. Though I don’t do this as often during the academic year, I try to save a few more important mementos from the year, like basketball tickets or polaroid photos.  

Generally, I am trying to teach myself to dedicate time to fun and to romanticize the things I can do. I am learning to turn off autopilot and spend time doing fun things with the people I love. I want to be present in the moment while also capturing memories in pictures, videos, and mementos. After implementing these strategies in my life, I am noticing that I am able to romanticize my life much more easily, and I am overall happier. For anyone who is finishing their first year of college, or about to enter college this fall, or maybe you are about to graduate college, I want you to remember – these are some of the best years of your life. It’s time to start romanticizing them! 

Tallulah Laska

Villanova '24

Tallulah loves all things lifestyle, health, and wellness. She is passionate self-love and prioritizing happiness. She aspires to be a physician so she can help people be the best version of themselves.