BRIONA SAAS
Special to The Leader
Welcome back from break everyone; also, I’d like to welcome you to the final stretch. After hours of studying, midterms and fun breaks we never want to leave, we have made it to the last part of the year. We only have two months left to make our hard work count. Let us make the rest of our stay as memorable as possible.
To my freshman readers: congratulations on completing your first year of college; that’s a great achievement, and you should be proud.
My sophomores who are reading: two down … two to go, you are halfway there — stay motivated.
Juniors: make a list of how to make your last year at college the best one yet; I’m sure many people have told you they wish they could go back and live it all over again.
To the seniors: you have come a long way — continue going out with a bang.
I’m going to encourage all of you, though, to try something new. Find a new place to hang out in your free time, like the bridge on campus near the Williams Center. Especially once the weather starts clearing up, the sunsets are quite beautiful from up there.
Meet some great people that you can’t wait to see again in the Fall. Engage in conversations with people that interest you. Break ground with new people, and don’t be afraid to make new friends.
Explore outside of campus. Not too far from campus is a homemade ice cream shop called Big Dipper Ice Cream Parlour that my friends and I recently stumbled upon, and, let me tell you, it’s delicious and perfect for a sunny day. You can also find a pier that overlooks Lake Erie if you enjoy being close to nature and near the water. Just because you freshmen have had a year to find a comfort zone does not mean you need to stay there.
Embrace and take advantage of the outdoors. We had a winter like no other, and there are no excuses now to stay cooped up in your dorm. Study on the outside seats near Starbucks, and change up your workout by running on the pavement under the sun. Make a trip to the creek more times then you would — the sound of the water moving is extremely peaceful.
With the sun out and the birds chirping, things will definitely start looking up. Don’t let stress beat you this time, not now. When the going gets tough, start planning your summer, but don’t get distracted from your goals of dominating that GPA. Stay focused and remain in charge when it comes to grades. I promise you it won’t be long until you can relax and take a three-month break away from it all. As for now, full speed ahead: proceed to succeed.
So there you have it, folks. The end of the semester is near, and we are all so close. There is nothing in our way stopping us. We have been through the ups and the downs of it.
Life is one big roller coaster and so is college — without the highs and the lows it wouldn’t be as exciting. Don’t get too anxious for the ride to be over, enjoy it while it lasts. Stay active, creative, curious and happy. In the great lyrics of Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow; don’t stop, it’ll soon be here. It’ll be better than before. Yesterday’s gone, yesterday’s gone.”