There are two things that an incoming college freshman inevitably hears before he or she ever steps foot on campus:1. "College is the best time of your life."2. "These next four years will fly by."Whoever gave you this advice - whether your parents, a friend or a random person you can't remember at your graduation party - is right. Add me to that list. I don't quite know how and when it happened, but somewhere along the way I found that I am having the time of my life and could barely catch my breath to realize it before entering senior year. I can still remember my first day at Saint Mary's like it was yesterday - meeting my roommates and deciding whether or not they looked anything like the pictures they sent, unloading bag upon bag of bulk food after my mom went a little overboard shopping at Sam's Club, the first meeting with Rebecca, our RA, and wondering "what are parietals?" No wonder my parents were so eager for me to go here.Later that night, a group of guys from St. Ed's clad in yellow T-shirts escorted about 50 of us to Stepan Center for "Domerfest," where I met one of my now best friends as he dragged me over to dance with him. Aside from visiting my brother when he went here, it was my first real Notre Dame experience ... one I could call my own.It's funny how the smallest things can stick with you, but they stick with you for a reason. Of all the memories accumulated over the past three years, both good and bad, I wouldn't trade a single one.It's impossible to know what these next four years of your life have in store. It's impossible for me to tell you. You can try to map out your entire college experience, but I guarantee it'll turn out to be something completely different.My best advice is to savor every minute and to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. Trust me, there will be plenty. Go out on a limb and meet new people; experience new things. The South Bend community - more specifically Notre Dame and Saint Mary's - will become home for four very important, challenging and exciting years of your life - four years that seem like one.So what your parents and everyone else said is true. Things happen differently for different people, but college will be the best time of your life and it will fly by. Hopefully you can take my word for it until the day comes three years from now when you can admit it yourself.
Anneliese Woolford is a senior English writing major and Saint Mary's Editor. She can be contacted at wool8338@saintmarys.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
