My Fellow Almost-Graduates,

The time has come where we can say we're finally graduating this semester. There's not too much more waiting, although it may feel like it at times. With theses, student teaching, senior dance concerts, internships, applying for jobs, and classes, this semester can get pretty overwhelming. I don't know if you're feeling this too, but it's the first week of class, and I'm stressing out more than usual. I haven't had a meltdown yet, but it'll probably come next week. Cheers to that.

Throughout my years at Eastern, one of the most important things I've realized is to give time to what truly matters. I wasn't the type of person to party, and when I came to college, I became even more entrapped in my studies. During my first and second year of college, I'd usually pick getting homework done ahead of time rather than spending it with friends. If I ever went to Breezeway with them, that was rare. As I look back on my time at Eastern, I realize how much effort I should have put into relationships, so last semester and this semester (although it isn't as successful), I'm trying to focus more on my relationships rather than my schoolwork. I only have a limited amount of time with my roommates and friends, and then we'll go our separate ways, and I'll probably never talk to most of them again--it's reality. I don't know if you had an experience like this, or if you had the opposite happen to you your first two years in college--spending too much time with friends and not nearly enough on schoolwork, but you're coming to realize that now, and you're changing and trying to fix those things, amidst the stress of the last semester.

Maybe you're super psyched to graduate (I know I am), or maybe you're terrified of adulting (how does one do this); maybe there's a mix of excitement and nervousness, and you're realizing you're too poor to get your own apartment, so you'll have to live at home for a few years. Whatever you're feeling, take time this semester to reminisce over your experiences at Eastern. Realize how little time you have left being a student, spending time with friends, having crazy conversations with your roommates, pulling all-nighters on a regular basis. I guess the epitome of this letter is to not take this last semester for granted. I didn't realize how quickly college would fly by, but here we are, in our final semester. In May we'll be graduates and soon college with be a thing of the past. For now, let's focus on being students and realizing that the important things are right in front of us.

Less than 115 days until we're alumni. Let's do this!

Sincerely,
Your Fellow Almost-Grad