Senior year is upon you, and boy, has it been a long road! You began your Freshman year at the school of your dreams with high expectations for the years to come. What groups would you get yourself into? What sports would you play? How many parties would your weekends consist of? Everything was a mystery, but the ambiguity was exciting!

Your roommate situation was less than ideal. You’d heard the horror stories of those before you, but who knew that you would be one the many who spent their first year battling over ramen noodles and floor lamps? You spent the weekends travelling to visit a boyfriend to escape the roomie, all the while, escaping the beginnings of your college social life. It was hard making friends right away. You’re an outgoing person and have always been known for being a social butterfly, but somehow you never found your home with a group of people, which made the transition year a bit tough. But that’s alright; you chalked up the first year to a combination of poor circumstances and started your sophomore year more optimistic.

You moved in with your best, and only, friend from freshman year. The two of you had similar freshman experiences and could not wait to start fresh. You had most of the same classes together and started having meals together until one day she told you she was transferring. While you knew it was the move for her, you couldn’t help but feel a little abandoned, knowing that once she left, you would be back to square one. Friend groups have been set for over a year, and breaking in is just not your style. You’ve been struggling to find interest in class and your emotions are running high. The sophomore slump is in full swing. Is transferring the move for you too? Where would you go? What would you study?

A new sorority came to school and was looking for new members to start it up. You’ve never been into that kind of thing, but maybe this group of women would be able to help you find your home. If you get in, great. If not, maybe it’s the final sign that something needs to change. You gathered the courage to put yourself out there and go out on a complete limb, and you got a bid! For sure things would be better now! But not so much. You felt lost in the shuffle still. You hardly registered for classes for junior year, anticipating that you would not be returning in the fall.

After much discussion and convincing, you changed your major and finally decided to finish your education at what had become a drag of a school for you. You knew from the get-go that you would not be having the dream college experience, but who knew you’d have to work this hard to even want to stay?

You moved into an apartment by yourself and built your schedule around taking classes just a few days a week, making time for you to go to work and get homework done on the off days. Much of your time was spent alone, despite the fact that you were an executive member of the sorority. You went to events as you saw fit. Now being behind 2 years in the “making friends game,” you found it difficult to attend without feeling alienated or out of place. Even after turning 21, you found yourself spending weekends home alone or working because you had never quite made the effort to find friends to go out with.

During the second semester, everything changed.

You started making more friends in your sorority and classes. You started finding out that many people at your school were having very similar struggles, and you began to feel at ease. People began calling you for coffee dates and study help, and even forced you out to parties that you never dreamed of going to in the past. Things began shaping up for the better. This is more like the whole “college thing” you were expecting.

Summer was great, but you found yourself missing your friends; a bittersweet experience you had not yet encountered.

And here you are, about to start your senior year.

You have 4 years of college to pack into just this one. Make it the best. Take advantage of the opportunities you are presented, both academically and socially. Stay up late eating pizza and brownies and drinking wine with your friends. Go on adventures. Take internships. Push yourself in classes. Go to as many sorority functions as possible. Never turn down an excuse to go out. Learn as much as you possibly can. And most of all, have fun!

People say these should be the best 4 years of your life. It may not have worked out that way, but you owe it to yourself to make this last one count.

Enjoy it, and I’ll see you on the flip side!

xoxo