No one actually specified how quickly first year would pass — everyone just said it does. Hoo knew it would be so fast? Here are some of the things I am saying goodbye to now that I am about to be a second-year student. My top five first-year farewells will either make you cry, or laugh so hard you won't notice that you are crying.
Unlimited Swipes
Ah, the unlimited meal swipes. The source of all sustenance and joy for first-year students at the University. Whether you loved Wing Wednesday at Newcomb or Runk's ice cream, or you were a die-hard fan of West Range breakfast and Food Truck Fridays, saying goodbye to unlimited swipes is a tough pill to swallow. While of course, dining hall food is barely edible and sometimes even poisonous, it was relieving to know at the end of a long day, there was still something waiting to disappoint me more than myself — or at least until 8 p.m. Unfortunately, if you are saying goodbye to meal plans, you will have to start budgeting your meals like a real adult now, and that is just not fair.
Class Crushes
We've all been there — comparing our fall versus spring class crushes, trying to decide who made us more motivated to get out of bed in the morning and make it to that 8 a.m. intro class of 300 students simply to ogle the back of their heads. Maybe it was their dazzling smile or the way they always had the perfect answer to the professor's questions. But now, as the first year comes to a close, it's time to say goodbye to that crush you have been silently admiring all year. You may have tried to subtly get their attention by "accidentally" dropping your pencil next to them or offering to share your notes. But alas, it seems like they barely even noticed you. Goodbye, unrequited love. Hello, loneliness.
Bus Drivers
We may have taken them for granted, but our University bus drivers were some of the most under-appreciated heroes of our first year. They taught us how to appreciate the fleetingness of life, with their sharp turns that sent you shooting like a cannon or the disregard for students running to catch the bus, leaving students to do their walk of shame back to the bus stop. And let's not forget the joy of cramming into a packed bus with a hundred other students, all trying to avoid eye contact and pretend they are not breathing on each other while bussing to JPJ for a basketball game. While these occurrences were slightly questionable, and mostly dangerous, I know that without buses, I wouldn't have been able to make it to half my classes.
“Easy A” Classes that Were Not “Easy A” Classes at All
We've all heard the rumors about that one class that's supposed to be a GPA booster, but somehow ends up being harder than quantum physics. Maybe it was that intro class or that lecture that had a discussion with the really nice TA. Or maybe it was that Intro to Spanish class that was so easy in high school.Regardless, they were all lies. Whatever it was, saying goodbye to those supposed "easy A" classes is like saying goodbye to a lie you have been living for a whole semester. The lie is further exacerbated with the professor who barely replies to their emails and makes you cry every time you have to “Bump!” your own desperate pleas once again.
Friends Left Behind
Perhaps the toughest goodbye of all is saying farewell to the friends you made during your first year. The ones who stayed up late with you to finish that project, woke up early to watch the sunrise, to see a list posted on a random door at 2 a.m. or just laughed until your sides hurt over the most ridiculous things. It is hard to imagine not seeing them every day, not telling them you saw their crush in passing. But hey, you've got three more years to make even more memories with them on Grounds.
So there you have it — five first-year goodbyes that are sure to make you feel all the feels. But do not worry, first-years — as one chapter ends, another begins. And Hoo knows, maybe your next chapter will be even better than the first. Just don't forget to stock up on tissues and ice cream before you say goodbye.
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