Opinion | College may just be the best three and a half years of my life

When I was younger, I always heard that college would be the best four years of my life. As I got closer to attending and all throughout my time here, I heard a different sentiment, reassuring me that it’s okay if college isn’t and that life will go on after graduation and it will be better. I was always surprised to hear this advice and rejected it wholeheartedly, because really, how could it get better than this? 

I am confident I will go on to my next adventure and create another great chapter of my life, but I will always look back on my time in college fondly and cherish the exploration and growth I’ve been able to experience here. While you’re still in it, remember the unique and exciting things that can define college life, and don’t take for granted all the fun you can have while you’re here.

I will never get another moment in time like living in Towers. While there are many valid complaints about the first-year dorms, living in the same building as all of your best friends and being an elevator ride away from all of your meals was the most exhilarating opportunity and one of the most special times in my life. I have missed Tower A since the moment I left and will continue to remember weekend nights with all of my friends crushed into one room. 

Being on a meal plan is the most underrated part of being in college. Hate on the Eatery as much as you want, but the convenience and ease of meal plan life are unmatched. As a busy person, the ability to forgo cooking and grocery shopping altogether will be greatly missed. I can picture myself now in 20 years, a tear dripping into my boiling pasta water, imagining the Eatery pizza and wishing I could have that luxury back. 

Getting involved the second I arrived at Pitt was the most important decision I made. While auditioning for every acapella group on campus my very first week of school was the most terrifying time of my life, it was so worth it. Being in the Pendulums has been the most fun and rewarding thing I’ve done here, and I’ve made so many wonderful friends through it. Find something you love, and the meetings and people will make the tough weeks of school bearable. I will miss making music with such cool people and will overall think back on student organizations as the best way to find a community and pursue your hobbies outside of school. 

Another underrated part of college is the actual school part. We spend so much time complaining about work and dreading our next exams that we lose sight of how amazing it is to learn. I will remember many of my classes long after they end and will often think about the thoughtful discussions they fostered and the writing skills they have forced me to develop. 

The opportunities I’ve had to write here at The Pitt News and my internships gave me space to express my thoughts, talk to different people and ultimately learn a lot. I’m so grateful for the ability to try things out and explore so many different subjects. I can also proudly say that I have never, in my three and a half years, had a class on Friday — barring a recitation one semester — and will brag about that for the rest of my days. 

The thing I will miss most about college is my friends and the social life. My schedule and lifestyle will never be more conducive to going out and having fun so often with the people I love. I can’t believe that soon I won’t be braving the cold Oakland streets on a weekend night or getting an insane Hem’s pitcher. I won’t ever regret saying yes to so many social activities or nights out, because now is the time to be young and wild with your friends. 

My time at Pitt has been the perfect transition into adulthood, and I can’t believe I get to take these incredible memories with me forever. It’s absolutely okay if college isn’t the best four years of your life, but I will also forever scream encouragement that it can be, and there are so many ways to make the most of this distinct moment in time. I am so glad I never took for granted all the little things that only happen here and now. While nothing can ever be perfect, my college experience has truly been the best time of my life.  

Delaney Rauscher Adams did NOT peak in college. Email her at dgr17@pitt.edu.