Angelos Assignment #1

It’s going to happen to you too, you know. That smack in the face called senior year. Love it or hate it, it means change. Granted, the changes aren’t the same for everyone; each person will have a different experience. An important thing to remember is that you can’t assume that you know how your life is going to be affected by it.

I think it’s safe to say that a fairly typical reaction to your final year is college is a feeling of excitement mixed with apprehension. It’s uncommon for someone to know exactly what is going to happen after they graduate, and that thought can be a rather daunting one. On the other hand, the wide range of possibilities and the chance to create a new life for yourself awakens a sense of adventure in the mind of someone who has been following the same general routine of college life for a few years prior, and the general routine of school life for years before that.

It’s also at this time that you are able to look back and evaluate how you’ve spent in your years as a college student. You notice the things you could have done differently and recognize the events that have molded and shaped you. The things that stand out at the end of it all might not be the things you’d think them to be. For me personally, this year is when I realized there were a lot of things I might miss out on if I didn’t get my act together and actively seek to get more involved on campus. This is one of the reasons I decided to work on Angelos this year – it provides some great opportunities to get connected. A few words of advice to the young’ns out there:

1.      Want to learn. That’s why you came to a university, isn’t it? This doesn’t mean you have to live in the library and have no social life, it just means that finding a balance is important. Try to retain what you learn from your classes and really strive to acquire the knowledge that’s out there waiting for you.

2.      Explore the campus. There are all sorts of nooks and crannies tucked away in the various areas of CBU. You might find a new spot you can escape to the next time your roommates get a little too crazy while you’re trying to study.

3.      Get to know your professors. They love it when students show a genuine interest in what they’re teaching, and if you establish a good relationship with them they can help you out with other classes once you’ve moved on.

4.      Keep in touch. I know you get busier as the year goes on, but it’s sad to see friends grow apart once they stop seeing you every other day in class or stop being your next-door neighbor.

5.      Enjoy it while it lasts. The food, the events, the perks, the discounts, the community, everything. Don’t take it for granted. Make the most of your time here and treasure the memories you make. College years are a unique time in your life and it’d be a shame to waste them.