The end is near.
This isn't some apocalyptic message, just a reminder that within a matter of a week, give or take a few days, that we will all be upperclassmen and our class will be divided and scattered for the next four terms. What an uplifting thought.
I am depressed about the end of this term. I don't want to say goodbye to people that I won't see for a year and I certainly don't want to study for exams on top of that. Seriously, how do you make the choice between hanging out with a good friend that you won't see for a year or living in the stacks until exams are over? I have a hard enough time during the term making myself do work that this decision is almost impossible. For example, let's take my personal struggle with this issue last weekend.
THE GREAT WENT. This is the name of the Phish festival that was held in Limestone, Maine this past weekend. I had two tickets, backstage passes and VIP passes. What a great opportunity to have some fun and get away from all of this end-of-term tension. Escape would be excellent, but reality when I got back to campus would be less than desirable. I faced the pressure of a decision: do I stay here and get my work done or do I spend some quality time with a good friend of mine that I won't see for a while? I changed my mind almost every day last week, but when it came down to it, I couldn't blow off an entire term's worth of work to play all weekend. I hate that I have a conscience sometimes.
IT WENT GREAT. I think everyone would agree with this statement about summer. This term has brought our class closer and been so much fun, so much at times, that classes and work have almost seemed to be an extracurricular activity. I have not experienced another term that is as relaxed and carefree as this one. I think Sophomore Summer is the perfect way to end your tenure as an underclassman. In the fall when I feel surrounded by '00s and '01s, I will think back to this summer when the weather was beautiful and '99s had free reign over campus. I don't think Dartmouth is going to be the same place to me anymore. I think of it as our territory now; it belongs to us. This territorial feeling is what makes our alumni so devoted. The nostalgia from Sophomore Summer remains with Dartmouth students throughout their career and way beyond graduation.
GREAT, IT WENT. Speaking of graduation, the ultimate end of the term, we are really not too far from that point in our lives. Two years seems like a pretty long time, but two years ago, we all were shopping with our mothers for extra-long sheets for our dorm beds, and we were getting nervous/excited for our DOC trips. It doesn't seem like that long ago, does it? It's a frightening thought. The best advice is to enjoy and cherish your time here and don't lament the end of this term. Make sure that you do take the time and say goodbye to your friends, but don't be depressed about our class not being together for the next year. Although our paths may not cross for the next four terms, our thoughts will most definitely always return to the same place: this summer.
I think my biggest mistake has been being upset at the thought of my friends not being here in the terms to come. What I realize now is that I need to enjoy them while they are here. Thinking in terms of what is to come and what has already happened is not the best way to be. Live in the now and enjoy. This means making the decisions you won't regret. I wish had had this epiphany last week. You should go to Phish and hang out with your friends instead of worrying about work. The amazing thing about Dartmouth students is they will find a way to get things done no matter what. You don't want to feel like something has passed you by or you missed an incredible opportunity. The worst feeling in the world is one of regret or loss. You want to be able to say "It went great," not "great, it went."
