It’s hard to believe that I am actually graduating this semester. Not that I doubted it would ever happen, but graduation has always seemed so distant and illusory. 120 units used to be an impossible feat. This, coupled with the significant percent of students who take at least 5 years to graduate, made graduation seem like a speck in the distance.

Yet here I am, planning my future after Sacramento State. One cannot help but feel a combination of elated, energized and petrified. Not necessarily afraid of the future, but of leaving the past. Up until this point, our lives have been defined by our status as students. We’ve grown to hate it so much that we love it.

All of the changes one experiences in college are somewhat overwhelming. Looking back, I realize that I am a completely different person that I was four years ago. My most common thought is: “What was I thinking?!?” Why did I study so hard for those Criminal Justice 001 exams? What on earth motivated me to take that Women’s Studies class? In the end, it all comes down to knowing one’s self. It is the experience of college that helps us gain that insight.

The most important thing to remember when making one’s way through college is to make the best of this short time. Regrets can only be minimized by going for what you want without hesitation. If you fail, at least you’ll know you tried.