I CANNOT know whether any advice that I might humbly offer now is worth more than if I were fresh out of my first year. It was a year full of many lessons - probably more than any other point in my life. Of course, in the time since then, I have gained other insights and perspectives that are equally important.
"I'm a rising fourth year" - the phrase rolls off my tongue with a distinct hesitation and uncertainty. I still cannot believe that I have reached this stage of the game. I never thought that time would fly by so fast coming off high school graduation with the excitement of beginning a new life at U.Va.
Looking back, I am glad to have taken in as much as I possibly could so far. And fortunately, I have two semester's worth of days and nights to live up the good life of a college student.
So in a few words, I suppose that is my advice: Live it up. Revel. In fairness, this pretty much sums up my philosophy about life in general, but it especially pertains to the experiences associated with being a college student. Don't let anything that interests you slip away. At the University, such opportunities exist in abundance.
Go to a meeting for a club you have no background with. Meet as many people in your dorm as you can the first week. Stay out all night. Share a secret. Don't worry about what you look like. Be excited about everything new. Let it all in and try it on for size.
This may sound rather intuitive, but it might surprise you how hard it is to let your guard down and adapt. Years of life at home and school mold us into distinctive personalities with a penchant for routines and set patterns of behavior. Your first semester of college is a great time to undo some of that.
Of course, this advice does not serve as an excuse to go out and break laws, destroy relationships or conduct any other such mindless activities.
But seriously consider the value of reveling. I learned a lot about myself during my first year for many different reasons, but mostly due to the changes I was willing to make. I was also consistently unhappy when trying to hold on to things of the past and not change with the new experiences I faced.
I learned that staying up all night to talk to someone can be wonderful - just not the night before the ECON 201 final exam. I discovered a newfound appetite for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I realized that sharing a room wasn't as easy as I thought.
Of course, this was just the beginning. Nothing has slowed down since then. Change remains a constant throughout life. But reveling in the new experiences and lessons makes for much better memories along the way.
Four years may sound like a long time, but it flies by. Consequently, there isn't much time to waste when it comes to reveling in the college experience. There is no better time to kick it all off than your first year at the University. Remember, there is no mold left to fill.
I could write a column about how to make easy class schedules, or where to find the best place to study. Maybe it would be just as practical to write about how to get involved in the life of the University community. A column about streaking the Lawn or partying for football games would certainly be entertaining. But looking back on the past three years, my advice is pretty straightforward.
Revel.
Sure, the monotony of dining hall food may occasionally dampen your mood, or a fast-paced class might require more study time than you thought possible. But there always remains a remedy for such situations. Take a break, grab a sandwich, and find a quiet spot in a pavilion garden to call your own for the day.
And if you are ever looking for someone to revel with, I'd love to meet you. Chances are you'll find me grabbing a snack at the Pav, driving on the curvy roads of Albemarle County or, of course, in Garden III.
(Katherine Martini is a Cavalier Daily columnist. She can be reached at kmartini@cavalierdaily.com.)
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