Well, it’s that time again. And as much as I love coming back to the thriving metropolis that is Binghamton, I have to say that ending my summer this time was definitely more trying than in previous years. Maybe it’s because I spent four months in Dublin. It could be the rockin’ summer that continues to call my name. But most likely, it is a case of senioritis, a disease I’m sure more than one person on this campus is struggling with right now.
It’s not that I don’t absolutely love good ‘ol Bing. I do, truly. It’s just that I really think this time could be better served without the bother of all those pesky classes. I know, I know, I’m here for a reason. To study and to get a degree before trying my hand at the real world.
But this year is more than just a final stage in an academic sense. This is the final stage in a lot of other ways too. After this, mid-week parties and all-nighters with the roommates will be frowned upon, if not impossible in the real world of jobs and bills.
So what to do? How am I expected to cope with this final year of undergraduate bliss without becoming too wild or too depressed to get by? Well, readers, here’s my advice to all you seniors (okay fine — all you graduate students, too): just do it.
Thinking about chatting up that hot guy in class? That party on a Thursday that will leave you a little tired for that 8 a.m. Friday lecture? Do it! This is it, people. It is the last chance you have to make this year the best it can be. This is the only today that you get. We all get one shot at this, and you will never regret that awesome time that you had; you’ll only regret the ones you didn’t.
And while we’re on the subject, what about regrets? What if I do this and then something bad does happen? Well, first of all, use your judgment. It’s not like I am telling you to go base jumping off the Library Tower or anything. But other than that, the regrets aren’t things that we wished never happened, they are just things we wish had ended differently. They are there to tell us how to get the desired outcome the next time.
So come on, Binghamton University! Let’s make this year unforgettable. Let’s make the best mistakes of our lives together. Go hug a stranger. Tell that girl — you know, the one you stare at on campus but never talk to — that she’s pretty. Eat a ton of delicious late-night snack foods and “forget” to go to the gym.
Do it. Own it. And make sure that, at the end of this year, you have some great stories to take with you on your next adventure.