Happy Tuesday everyone! Originally I had planned a post on getting ready to move in to the dorms, but I had trouble writing it. That’s when I realized it wasn’t even relevant to my life because I haven’t started packing yet! I’ve been so focused on keeping to my posting schedule that I never considered that I could actually be flexible within it! So, maybe you’ll get a moving post in the next week or two, maybe not! Who knows?

Every time I sat down to attempt writing the aforementioned moving post, my mind wandered from home to moving to school to senior year as a dietetics student! Since I’m clearly stuck on that topic, here are some of my thoughts on the coming semester.

I feel very old saying this, but time has flown in college. Here’s how I generally think about past semesters: I begin with excitement and hope, then get a little bogged down in school/work/maintaining a social life, yet I manage to keep up until a little over halfway through. As I’m starting to burn out, we take Thanksgiving or Easter break (which is really just a long weekend). But it’s enough that I head into finals with a “let’s get this bread” mentality, only to get slapped upside the head with long nights and stress. When I finish the semester I come away with more of a mood than many specific memories.

For example, I remember my fall of my sophomore year being a crazy semester! Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coastline just before school would’ve started. Instead of a full schedule, the semester began with two weeks of no classes or light online work. All of a sudden, we had much less time in our physical classrooms.

To fit everything into the schedule, the school shortened our finals to fit in a normal class period. This meant everyone had 60-90 minutes to take them in class on the last two days of the semester. Many school clubs and events were thrown off because of the late start, and it took a month for things to settle down. On top of that, I had a new relationship, a new position at my job, and a tight schedule. Needless to say, I was a little frazzled and grateful for that semester to be over.

I generally think in terms of emotions or feelings rather than events, which contributes to how I think of time. Without many concrete moments to represent past semesters, all of a sudden I look up and here I am, at the gateway to senior year of college, which in turn leads to the beginning of “real life.”

I’ve heard many mixed reactions from friends of mine who have stood at this doorway before me. Many have told me that as much as they love college, they can’t wait to finish and graduate. Others said that they wish they had more time or had better cherished their time.

I definitely fall into the latter camp. I stand here and become annoyed that I walked so quickly through college. Now that I’m close, I want to slow down. Yet even as I’m closer to starting a new phase of life, I have a better idea of what I want, but not much clearer a picture on how I’ll reach those goals.

I’m unsure not only of my future in the long-term, but also of the future close at hand. I look at my schedule and realize that while I’m not sure how filled it will be on paper, I know almost every minute will be accounted for. Between work, classes, and this blog, my summer has had its share of busyness. However, I’ve been really thankful for the break from the rigid, unrelenting schedule of the semester. I’ll admit I don’t feel as ready as I’d like to start that up again because the stress can hurt my mental health.

I do look forward overall to returning to campus, because there are many things that I’ve missed back home: an amazing church with a great community and thoughtful preaching, and friends both new and old! I also start another job on campus that I’m really excited about because I get to work with amazing people. With all these positive influences, I know I’ll grow this semester, both personally and academically. And who knows, maybe that will help me figure out my next step.

Whether I like it or not, time’s going to keep moving. I can choose to be dragged by it or move forward confidently in stride. If you find yourself worrying about whatever’s ahead, ask yourself if you’re willfully ignoring the good, like I was. And I hope you can join me in accepting and celebrating what’s to come!

Until next time,
Emmalee

P.S. Life update on my carpe diem mood from last week. Since that post I’ve crossed off two goals: posting consistently on here for two months, and discovering a new coffee shop!. I’ve also made plans to make at least two more happen! In the words of one of the awesome friends I made on my trip to the Sequoias, “We’re doing it!”