Jokes have been floating around campus about getting ready to dive head-first into the adult world, but it wasn’t until I was sitting alone at my usual table in the Brewhaus that this idea really hit home.
Coming to college is scary, but leaving it is scarier.
I remember sitting in the gazebo next to the HEC at midnight in the cold, consoling my new friends who cried about missing home. Now, the same friends have been crying over missing their college home, the same place they were so scared to become part of.
My advice to those who are leaving college or who have only just begun—embrace it all.
Hold tight to old and new friendships, let go of those you’ll inevitably say goodbye to.
Recognize that you don’t have to be “on” every day. Rock that four-day-no-shower grunge because frankly, no one gives a damn.
Understand that not every assignment is going to be a masterpiece by van Gogh or Shakespeare, but that is okay because there is always next time.
Revel in moments of pure bliss, partying until 4 a.m. with your friends, singing Panic! At The Disco at the top of your lungs and solemnly swearing that you are up to no good.
Get involved with organizations, sports, on-campus job opportunities and anything else you can get into because it will be some of the best experiences you ever commit to.
Struggle through the “I think it is time to down five cups of coffee, three Red Bulls and possibly eat a whole gallon of Ben and Jerry’s” kind of all-nighters. While you’ll probably take a seven-hour nap the next day, all that hard work will be worth it in the end.
Most importantly, be an advocate. Don’t be afraid to stand up for those who need it as well as for yourself.
In our current climate, there has been a lot of hate. While we may not see eye to eye, respect and love are what makes us different.
If we can learn from each other, then we can fight for a better world together.
It’s cliché to say enjoy college while you can, but there is no other time in life to experience anything like what college has to offer.
In the blink of an eye, you are graduating, and you will wish you could live every one of those moments over again.
Unless you are one of the lucky ones prolonging the adult experience and going to graduate school. Kudos to you for being one of the truly smart ones.
As I prepare for the excitement and tears that graduation will bring, while packing my bags for a London internship, I hope you embrace it all because that is what being a Pointer has taught me.
“Mischief managed.”
Lhea Owens
Arts and Entertainment Editor
lowen721@uwsp.edu