By Bre Nichols
Reporter

Spring break is officially over and it’s time for students to get back to the reality of business as usual: homework, papers, projects and exams, while also making a point to enjoy what time we have left at Baylor this year.

Due to all of the Facebook statuses I’ve seen, I know I’m not alone when I say spring break was a huge tease for summer. Although a part of me is ready for summer and graduation, the other half knows that I’m not ready to leave Baylor or my friends.

With only seven weeks left in the semester, I’m reminded of how fast the first three and a half years have flown by.

It seems like yesterday I was graduating from high school and preparing for college. Time was not a factor since I thought I would have years to prepare for my future. What I wasn’t prepared for was how quickly these years would pass and bring me to where I am today.

Recently, I was talking with my roommates about moving into our house after freshman year and how grown up and excited we felt.

One of my roommates, Dallas senior Becca Ryan, said, “I had never felt more grown up. I felt so much joy and freedom moving into a house with all my best friends, and I couldn’t wait to live out the next few years with them.”

We felt as if time at college wouldn’t end, and now looking back on it I can’t believe these are going to be our last months together.

We have shared so many memories together and were just now beginning to realize how carefree our time has been.

The reality of entering the real world in just seven more weeks is beginning to hit me harder now than it has at any other point during my college career. Friends I made will be relocating to different states, some of them will be attending graduate school and others will begin pursuing their careers. We’re at the time in our lives where we will all go our separate ways. This causes me a certain amount of sadness which overshadows the joy of embarking on a new journey.

Skype chats, Facebook comments and phone conversations will soon replace the convenience of being able to walk up the stairs or drive two minutes down the road to hang out with friends. With that being said, I’m reminded the remaining time is valuable.

While maintaining a relationship socially with friends is important, now more than ever, especially for seniors, we need to concentrate on our main objective of maintaining good grades and getting a degree. It’s easy to become distracted, so keeping a happy medium becomes essential.

I would have to agree with a new popular saying, “YOLO” (you only live once). Regardless of whether you’re graduating or will be returning to Baylor in the fall, try to make the most of all your remaining time at school while staying conscious of the responsibility to finish strong.

Bre Nichols is a senior journalism major from Dallas and is a reporter for the Lariat.