As my senior year of college quickly flies by, I can't help but set aside a few minutes to look back on my time at Longwood. In four years, I have been through heartbreak, experienced loss, made amazing memories, and made some lifelong friends. It's been a crazy, fun ride, and I can't believe it will soon come to an end.

Everyone has a different college experience. There are some who go in to play sports and quickly realize they don't want to anymore. There are many who complete one or two semesters and decide that college really isn't their scene.

You have those who rush sororities and fraternities and spend their time at college surrounded by an unbreakable bond of friendship. Then there are others, who lay low and get their work done and get out. We all choose the path that makes us happy because college is the first time when you are truly free to become yourself and experience life in a new way.

Everyone looks back at college and high school and says, "wow time flew by" or, "if I could go back." Though I hate to be another cliché, I really can't believe I am about to leave the place I have called home for 4 years in just a few months. It seems like I was just living in the towers across campus, making new friends who would soon become my sophomore year roommates and suitemates.

Time flew by when we left campus and moved out on our own. I began my junior year with a roommate I had known for life and a beautiful dog that stole my heart. And as though junior year wasn't fast enough, the first semester of senior year was gone in the blink of an eye.

I'm an old soul, so I tend to look back on things like I'm 10 years older than I really am, but as I write this article I can't help but want to tell classes below mine to slow down and enjoy every single moment. I have made the best memories with my friends at Longwood.

We have laughed about crazy ex's and relationships, cried to each other when things get tough, and no matter the circumstance, we have always had each other's backs. I know college is about education and preparing you for the world, but it's just as much about making lifelong friends and enjoying the time here. I say all of the time, "Senior year? How did we get here?" and truth is sometimes I really don't know how.

I hope everyone takes time to slow down and enjoy the ride, because it won't be long before you're staring graduation in the face and looking for your first grown-up job!