I Just Finished My Last Final Exam . . .

by captainfisticuffs

. . . and I’m really glad about it, obviously. While I’m overjoyed about receiving my well-needed break, I just realized that a whole year has gone by in a flash, and I’m already a fourth of the way through my undergraduate career. You know how life begins to go faster as you grow? I think my life just got on the freeway.

When people say that college is one of the largest steps to adulthood, they mean it. I never realized how much independence it takes to live on your own. It’s not just that you have to cook your own meals and wash your own dishes and take out the trash, it’s because you no longer have your family beside you to help you make decisions and get through stressful times. Thankfully, I had my older brother as a roommate this year; but even then, I had to make so many important decisions by myself. And with these steps to independence, you begin wanting your own place, and you begin having thoughts like what kind of work you’re going to do, who you’re going to marry, whether you want fifteen or twenty kids, what you would look like with a lumberjack beard, the list goes on. Somehow, at least for me, my thoughts are no longer exclusively about how to enjoy myself at the present moment. My thoughts are on the future.

One particular thing that changes when growing up is your relationship with your family. Of course, I had to leave most of my family behind to pursue further studies, and at times, yes, it is sad. I can say with absolute honesty that I miss my family every day I’m apart from them. The bright side to this, however, is that when I do see them, I appreciate their presence so much more. When I was still living with my family, I too easily took them for granted and usually spent my leisure time in seclusion. Now it’s a joy to spend time with them because I know how much I miss them when they’re not around. Any time I can get with them now is precious.

I was scared about growing up, with all the responsibilities and work involved. However, I now realize that a part about growing up is that your outlook on life changes as well, and thankfully, that helps you cope with the struggle of adult life. If I could offer some advice to any new freshman after my first year of college, it would be this: Don’t be afraid. You’ll be alright. . . . And eat lots of spinach.

And with that, here’s some music.