College was a wild ride, one I don’t even know how to reflect on, in all honesty. I feel like I remember everything that happened, but at the same time, everything is foggy. There’s no way four years went by so fast. It’s cliché to say, but I really do feel they flew by in the blink of an eye. No one can fully prepare you for how you feel in the last few weeks of college. 

You start to feel like time is speeding up. You think you have time to do it all, do every little thing again and again. When I started college, I thought I had endless chances, the opportunity to do things multiple times. But those chances are shortening, slimming — especially when I’m moving to start my full-time job the week of graduation. 

Right now, I’m wishing there was a handbook on how to do all of this — how to enjoy my last few weeks while finishing the last academic papers of my undergraduate career, how to see every person and how to spend time with them all before I have to move in a month. It’s funny because when I started college, I thought I was more prepared than I was. Back then, I wished there was a handbook on how to succeed at college. 

If there’s one thing I wish someone told me four years ago, it’s that you will never get these moments back, so don’t take them for granted. Now, as a senior, it feels like I’m holding onto memories as tightly as I can and trying to slow them down before they slip away.

I find myself walking campus paths I haven’t ventured on in a while — thinking about how much I’ve changed without even realizing it and how the time has passed without me noticing it.

College isn’t just about classes, or majors or the neat little boxes you check off on your degree. It’s about late-night talks with friends about life and chatting when you’re supposed to write that paper. It’s about the group projects that taught you a lot, especially your patience.

It’s easy to get caught up in worrying about the future, about your grades, getting that internship and spending too many hours in Hillman. That’s how I spent a lot of my time throughout these four years, but that’s not what I’m going to be thinking about when I reflect on my time at Pitt. Looking back, I’ve realized the best parts of college were never the ones I planned carefully. They were the accidents, the surprises and the moments I almost said no to because I was “too busy.”

So here’s my advice — say yes a little more. Stay a little longer at dinner with your friends. Meet your friends out, even if you have more work to do. Go to the event, even if you’re tired. Spend time with your people. Don’t let the best parts of your college years be the ones you didn’t notice until they were gone.

Now, I can’t say I’ve always enjoyed my time in college 100% of the time. I went through a lot and befriended the wrong people in many circumstances. But when I think about the people I’ve met, the year I’ve had and the experiences I’ve lived, I realize it’s all been worth it. 

I’m incredibly grateful for my people — the ones I know I’ll continue to have in my life and the ones who will visit me in D.C. Even though I only met some of them my final year, they’re amazing people, and I’m glad to end my college experience with them. Always remember to continue being open and keep on making friends because you’ll never know how close you can become with them until you do — even if they were your boyfriend’s friends first, technically. 

Because one day, you’ll walk across campus for the last time, and you’ll want to know you’ve truly experienced it all. Because college isn’t a straight line. It’s a series of abrupt turns, detours and twists that somehow still got me here. And standing at the end of it, I’m grateful for every moment, even the ones that weren’t so exciting or happy. 

Emily O’Neil writes primarily about societal issues, politics and campus life. Write to her at [email protected].