The halfway point of the semester is quickly approaching. It occurred to me while I was writing this that I am three-quarters of the way done with my freshmen year of college. I spent the majority of my life looking forward to college. Now, it's here, and it's passing me by.
College has had this weird way of warping time for me. Maybe it's the disconnect from society because of the San Diego State bubble. Maybe I’m not used to being on a school schedule. All I know is I simultaneously feel like I’m being swept away by a wave, yet am stuck in quicksand. Yes, time is flying by, but I feel like I’m not moving with it.
Even during the weekends, there’s no time to make it all stop. There is always homework or an event that is looming on the horizon and quickly approaching. For a lot of people, this predicament might not exist. My roommate says this semester is totally dragging. Yet I feel like I blinked and it was Wednesday and I had to sit down and write this article, even though it feels like I wrote my last one yesterday.
Having things to look forward to definitely helped me through the first semester. Whether it was hanging out with friends during the weekend, or my hall council events on Thursdays, or writing these articles on Wednesdays, having a set schedule helps me move through the week. This semester, I’m in a groove, which makes everything go by so much faster.
My big event is spring break, when I get to see my family after what seems like years ... or seconds. I talked with my sister on the phone recently, and she was so excited to see me in two weeks. I was honestly shocked to hear that it was that close. It feels like yesterday I was internally groaning because spring break seemed so far away.
Professors are already talking about what we should be doing during and after spring break. Then, after spring break, there’s April. And then, that’s it. My spring semester is basically over, and I leave to go back home for the summer. School has never passed by so fast for me. High school was the longest four years of my life; these two semesters have been the fastest.
Not only is my freshmen year almost done, college itself seems to be fleeting. I’m already talking to a professor about grad school. I’ve never thought that far ahead in my life, yet I feel like I have to with the rate this year is going. Before I know it, college will have passed me by.
A lot of my peers are already mentally and emotionally done with college. After four years of conventional schooling, I can understand. But I’m just falling back into the swing of things and all I want is for it to slow down. There are so many things I want to do, yet I literally cannot find the time to do it.
It's not that I don't have the time -- it's that I’m constantly thinking of other things, and by the time I remember what I wanted to do, weeks have gone by. When I do find myself with a break, I’m overwhelmed by how free I am, and end up doing absolutely nothing with my time.
There are billions of places in San Diego I want to see, and a billion more I don’t even know about. I can’t use lack of transportation as an excuse, considering I have my car. There are a few clubs I want to join, and a dozen more that I don’t know exist but would love.
These meetings take place when I supposedly am free, yet I haven’t made it to any meetings. I haven’t really gone to a party yet, even though I go to San Diego State and the parties are literally across the street from my dorm.
My free pass on being reckless has gone unused. My dorm room is still half organized, half decorated. I have the supplies to finish setting everything up, but at this point, is it worth the effort? I will be packing up all of my stuff in less than two months. Two months! And then freshman year of college is over.
Contrary to popular opinion, I want this semester to last longer; or at least slow down enough for me to catch my bearings. Life is hectic, but in a good way. It's almost refreshing to be so stressed -- definitely not something I thought I would ever say. I’m digging college so much that I’m voluntarily taking summer classes. If one thing is clear, it's that college is treating me far better than high school ever did. Yet all things must come to an end. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun.
