With the start of the fall semester, fourth-years’ countdowns to graduation slowly begin. Subtle reminders of the year's end peek through small moments and countless memories woven into University student life. Besides nostalgia, for many, this period motivates a sense of urgency to take advantage of remaining opportunities and embrace University cornerstones before their time on Grounds comes to a close.
And what better way to check off all that the University has to offer than with a list. Since 2007, the Fourth-Year Trustees have created a dependable, yet evolving list of “126 Things To Do Before We Graduate.” This year, the list featured 126 items for the Class of 2026, which are intended to unite prospective graduates over the common goal of appreciating their final lap in full. The items on the list aim to give meaning to every stroll across the Lawn, meal on the Corner and late-night library lock-in.
These items are up to the discretion of the Trustees, making each year's list a little different than the last. List tasks encompass a wide range of University experiences, from getting a CPR certification to eating dinner at Asado to even taking a shower in the basement of Shannon Library. The comprehensive list sets a challenge that many soon-to-be graduated students become ardent about completing.
For participating fourth-years, checking off each task becomes a central part of their final year on Grounds. Class of 2026 alumna Kolbe Osarchuk and her roommates all adorned their bedroom doors with the poster, and have created a friendly competition that encouraged them to make the most out of their last year.
“We take [the list] pretty seriously. Our goal originally was to finish everything on the list,” Osarchuk said. “It's just been a fun way to make sure that we're seeing all that U.Va. has to offer before we go.”
Echoing this sentiment, Class of 2026 alumna Amanda Southfield explained how the list introduced her to many of the quintessential University experiences, some of which she said she would not have known about otherwise.
“There [are] a lot of things on the list that I didn't even know existed, so [without the list], I probably wouldn't have been able to do as much,” Southfield said. “I think that my mentality, regardless of the list, was to go into fourth year trying to experience as much of Charlottesville as I can, and do as many different things as I can.”
According to Osarchuk, the list has pushed her and her friends to get involved on Grounds in ways they never expected, drawing them into attending several University-sponsored events they might have otherwise overlooked. They have even carved out entire days to tick some items off the list — most notably, a packed fall morning when Pancakes for Parkinson’s, the Fourth Year 5K and CultureFest all occurred on the same day.
Each year since its inception, the Trustees have added one new task to the list, allowing it to grow alongside each graduating class, culminating in this year's 126 items for the Class of 2026. Keoni Vega, Fourth-Year Trustees President and Class of 2026 alumnus, remembers putting the list together at the start of the semester, paying close attention to what he hoped students would take away from the experience.
According to Vega, his intention in weaving in a diverse array of activities ranging from Greek life philanthropy events to a cappella performances was to pull students beyond their familiar circles, encouraging them to meet new people and get into the habit of saying ‘yes’ to experiences beyond their beaten path.
“Everything [the Trustees] work towards is bringing people together and creating community,” Vega said. “I think that's really special in a place like U.Va., where there are thousands of undergraduate students all involved in different things.”
Still, it is no simple feat to create camaraderie across thousands of students as they decide how to maximize their final months in Charlottesville. Annie Zhao, Fourth-Year Trustees Vice President and Class of 2026 alumna, said she has noticed a sense of community emerge from students who have shared their progress on the list across social media, documenting their experiences in a way that other students can engage with.
Zhao said she does not merely see the list as an opportunity to bring University students together during their time on Grounds, but also sees it as a chance to create a snapshot of student life. She explained how the list can function as a tangible memory that alumni can look back on post-graduation and reminisce on what it felt like to be a student at the University.
“At the end of the day, yeah, it's just a poster, but it's also a year-long activity that we've put on,” Zhao said. “Even after you graduate, you can still refer to this list [for] what U.Va. has to offer.”
With connection across the class as an essential function of the list, the pursuit of these 126 items has fostered new friendships among aspiring list-completers. Southfield noted that by the time fourth year rolls around, many students have already formed enduring friendships and find it more difficult to meet new people.
Southfield explained how the list offers participants an opportunity to diversify their social circles. For her, a list item resulted in her joining multiple intramural sports teams, where she got closer with peers from clubs that she had not interacted with prior to her fourth year. Southfield said she believes that the list’s push to move outside one’s comfort zone will even benefit students as they embark on new adventures after graduation.
“I've met a lot of people … I'm closer to a lot of people that I didn't know before this,” Southfield said. “I think there are real-world parallels [to] post-grad [for] a lot of the things that are on the list that I will hopefully try to do.”
Similarly, Osarchuk noted how the list even encouraged her to reflect on how she can bring this habit of trying new things and taking advantage of what life has to offer into her post-graduate routine. She said she plans to take this spontaneous mentality with her as she moves to Chicago following graduation, creating a list of her own detailing everything her new city will have to offer.
“I'm list-building in my head, thinking about everywhere I have to go [in Chicago],” Osarchuk said. “[I want to] find more niche things that wouldn't just be on a Pinterest bucket list.”
At its core, the list was designed to shape fourth-year students’ final year in Charlottesville through a shared feeling of accomplishment. Over the past four years, the Class of 2026 has built a sense of community through numerous events and undertakings — from planning First Year Formal to hosting study sessions in Clemons Library during finals — and now, in their fourth and final year, they built this bucket-list to guide them to the very end.
“Class Council is here for spirit, unity and to bring the class together,” Zhao said. “This list does just that, because these are all activities that we have done in common. At the end of the day, we're graduating all as a Class of 2026 [with] these shared experiences.”
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