With graduation just a couple weeks away, I find myself feeling nostalgic of my final year of college. My senior year has been so bittersweet, but especially my final semester. I look back fondly at the memories I have made and sad for this time coming to an end. I consider myself very lucky with my roommate situations over the past four years, and I have created strong relationships with almost every roommate I have had which has made college so difficult to think about leaving behind. Despite my growing nostalgia, I feel ready to move on from college and enter the “real world”. I have caught myself wishing away the days just to get to graduation quicker. I finally realized that I need to soak up these final weeks because I will never be able to get this time back.
This year, I live with three roommates named Bianca, Emma, and Alex. Bianca and I have lived together for three years and have shared a room for two years. This is my first year living with Emma and Alex. Between the Fall and Spring semesters, the four of us have become so close. We have created memories that will last a lifetime due to photographs lovingly placed on our Wall of Shame. My roommates and I have noticed ourselves getting so caught up in the busyness of school that we have not realized our time living together is quickly ending. We came up with ways to really take in our final year of college together.
I want to offer you some tips on how to make the most of your final year with your roommates. Even if you are not a senior, hold on to these tips because they will help you take in your last bit of time in college. If you are not close with your roommates, I hope these tips can still apply to the people you have been close with throughout college.
1. Be Spontaneous.
Allow for the moments where you just let life take you where it wants to. Whether that means a road trip to someone’s hometown or a random event that you discover the day of, enjoy it. Forget about the assignment you have due that week. It will still be there for you when you get back. You will meet the deadline. What you cannot get back are the missed opportunities to make memories with the people you care about.
2. Create a Bucket List.
If you are anything like my roommates and me, you have gone months with saying, “Let’s do this!” or “Let’s try out that new restaurant!”. But, have you actually done what you have been wishing to do? My advice is to create a bucket list of the activities you want to do, events you want to attend, places you want to see, and restaurants you want to try. Nobody wants to get to the end of a chapter in life wishing that they had accomplished what they said they would. By creating a bucket list, it gives you and your roommates (or closest friends) the chance to visually see all that you want to do and check off all that you have done.
3. Spend Quality Time with the People You Love.
We so often get wrapped up in the world of social media. College campuses are littered with students who are glued to their phones. This can easily spill over into the quality time that is spent with roommates or friends. Designate moments where you all agree to put the technology or any other distraction away. I cannot stress enough that you will not be able to get this time back.
I hope that you consider these tips when entering your final year of college. They have helped me make the most of senior year with my roommates. Let yourself have fun and enjoy this time. It is so fleeting, but so worth it.
