Being a senior is a very weird thing. From all the way through pre-kindergarten to this year, school has always been a constant in my life from September to May. Nine months out of the year for the majority of my life has been filled with class, tests, late nights studying, and all the in-betweens that go into a school week. Then one day, and that day for me is May 17^th, 2020, it stops. I know that I will still continue learning outside the classroom in various ways, and maybe pursue an MBA one day, but it will never be the same as going to school, and that is a hard concept to grasp. Of course, when I’m studying at 2am the idea of never having to do that again excites me, but will I truly enjoy never going to school again? That is a question I can’t answer right now and may not know for a while. All I know is that I have one more semester of grinding and then I’m coasting to the finish line (senior spring I will be chilling hard, sorry mom). But for now, I’m just trying to enjoy my last year here in Carlisle, Pennsylvania the best I can.

After spending last spring abroad, I did admittedly miss the Dickinson atmosphere and was excited to start my senior year because I told myself I wanted to make the most of it. I was able to spend the summer in Carlisle for the first time, so I wanted to start with enjoying Carlisle while it wasn’t a “college town” for two months. During this time, I was able to check out some new spots that I haven’t been to, as well as take advantage of the farmer’s market on Wednesday and make homemade pizzas with my coworkers.

As the first week of classes wrapped up, I also made a point to be more social so I can see and catch up people I haven’t seen in months or a year. Knowing that our time is dwindling and every day the past doesn’t seem too long ago, I really want to make more memories with my friends, and new memories with new friends. I also made a point to try new and challenging things this semester, like being the Opinion Editor for the Dickinsonian Newspaper and program coordinator for Senior Companions, because I wanted to expand my comfort zone and see what I could accomplish. Life will always throw new and challenges things at you, so I thought it would be in my best interest to make the most of my senior year by preparing for those moments doing endeavors that I enjoy. Another area in which I wanted to make the most of my last year was by supporting my friends at sporting events. During my full three years here, I haven’t attended many other sporting events and I wanted to change that. I went to my first ever women’s soccer game and was able to see them secure a win against Penn St.-Berks as I cheered on a friend in the second half. My friend was appreciative that I stopped by, and it felt nice to get out and support other fellow Red Devils.

I know as the year goes on and the days start to speed up, I will feel the reality of leaving more, but at least I can leave knowing that I was able to make the most of my last year how I wanted to.