What? Sorry — you’re going to have to repeat that one more time for me. What do you mean the seniors are graduating and moving away in a week? That can’t be true. It feels like they were juniors yesterday.
Truthfully, I don’t think it’s really hit me yet that all of my senior friends won’t be here next year and that these are our final few days together in college. It feels like I was just getting to know them and now they’re leaving for good. As thrilled as I am to cheer them on in their next endeavors and watch all the amazing places they’ll go, I can’t help but also feel sad.
As a freshman who was still finding her place last year, I can’t say that I experienced as much of this sadness. Sure, I had senior acquaintances that I’d politely wave to on Bruin Walk and of course I was sad to see them go; but this year is different. I’ve joined clubs, gotten a campus job and found a community here for myself at UCLA. And yes, these things have undoubtedly brought me an overwhelming sense of wholeness as a person, joy and meaningful connections, but I now must come to terms with the double edged sword and tough goodbyes that they also bring.
This feeling draws me back to one of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” So rather than wallow in self pity for the next week about how different next year will be without the seniors, I am choosing to be thankful for the time I did get to spend with them and all the things they’ve taught me along the way.
Additionally, I’ve decided to make what little time I do have with these friends as fun, silly and memory-packed as possible. This means saying yes to spontaneous get togethers, stupid ideas and partaking in as many UCLA traditions as we can possibly think of. I think I’m finally beginning to understand all that “college is the best four years of your life” nonsense we’ve been fed our entire lives.
Watching the 2023 seniors graduate has reminded me of just how short my time at UCLA really is. After this year, I’ll be halfway done with my college career, a thought which makes my head spin. I’ll try to remember that the next time I’m complaining about the quarter system or my crappy enrollment pass. I don’t want to waste another minute here.