Take a look back to your life in 2005. For me, I was beginning the most awkward and embarrassing period of life, otherwise known as middle school. Now almost ten years later, about to graduate from college, and enter the “big girl world,” I find myself reverting back to listening to “Unwritten,” once again on repeat.

“I am unwritten, can’t read my mind, I’m undefined. I’m just beginning, the pen’s in my hand, ending unplanned.”

This is life in itself. We have no idea what will happen in the next hour, tomorrow, or even a year from now. In particularly, college forces us to discover who we are as students, men and women, and most importantly adults. The journey to self-discovery is driven by the individual over the course of four to five years. You have no idea what to expect when you say good bye to your parents on your freshman move in day, but know you are meant to be in that place for a reason. You are “staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window, let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find.” You have just begun your very own path to self-discovery.

“Reaching for something in the distance, So close you can almost taste it, Release your inhibitions, Feel the rain on your skin, No one else can feel it for you, Only you can let it in.”

Do not be afraid to take a risk. Apply to study abroad in another country. Send your resume to your ultimate dream job, where people from Harvard are your competition. College encourages you to set academic goals, but also personal dreams. Whether it be to make Dean’s List for the semester, or even an A in the lowest rated professor’s class on ratemyprofessor, you are working to an end achievement. Let go of your negativity and discouraging thoughts that you cannot do something, because you can. Graduation seems impossible when you first start college, but somehow there are still tons of students who put on their cap and gown and walk across the stage- even if it takes an extra year or maybe two.

“We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can’t live that way.”

Bedingfield agrees with Miley Cyrus when including the point that Nobody’s perfect. College is the only time you will have to uncontrollably party, make extremely stupid spontaneous decisions, and get away with not having a job- school comes first, right? College is honestly a four year-long course in its entirety- LIFE 101. It teaches us what we can and can’t handle at once. It teaches us what we want and deserve in a romantic relationship, which we would not have learned without the several dbags along the way, so we thank you. Life is about making mistakes, but a mistake isn’t considered one if you didn’t gain a life lesson from it. You are writing your own story, which wouldn’t be enjoyable without those crazy, stupid memories.

“Drench yourself in words unspoken, Live your life with arms wide open, Today is where your book begins, The rest is still unwritten.”

Be fearless and open minded. The definition of “life” is “the existence of an individual human being or animal.” In order to exist, you have to be physically doing something- do not let fear get in the way. Be open minded in regards to friendships, classes, and even career paths- yes that goes out to all of you who have changed their major a million times- its okay. At UNC Greensboro, the student body is very diverse in regards to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and majors. We are forced to be open minded in regards to different opinions that may surface, which develops awareness about each different culture. This only prepares us perfectly for the American melting pot post graduation. Once you walk across that stage one day in May, August, or even December, your book starts a new chapter- Post Grad Life. Take the lessons you learned while in high school and in college and apply them to your everyday new life. Say yes to everything- except hard core drugs, because that is always a bad decision. Say yes to traveling. Say yes to an internship. Say yes to a new city. Say yes to love. Say yes to life. Say yes, my life is unwritten, but I’m enjoying not knowing what will come next and no I am not scared.

Take these wise words from Bedingfield, belt this song with the windows down any day when you’re driving to and from class, or even binge watch “The Hills.” No matter what, do not forget this anthem to life. Each of our stories are different and unique in their own way. Whether it be we are a rising freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or even post grad, our books are still continuing with each chapter differing from the previous one. Use these four years of college as the basis and prelude to your personal life novel, but do not take them for granted. Embrace life to the fullest and live it with out any regrets- and yes that includes that one Friday night everyone is terrified to recall. Remember, “Today is where your book begins, The rest is still unwritten.” So writers, enjoy creating your story and embrace your journey of discovery as you only live once- and yes YOLO is okay in this instance. Enjoy writing!