Yesterday, I saw a lot of Facebook statuses that amounted to, "Today is my last first day of a college semester," etc.
Well, yesterday was my exactly that — my last first day of a college semester. There are going to be a lot of lasts this semester, but I refuse to make my final semester about my lasts.
That saying, "Live every day like it's your last" is something of a false statement.
If today were my last day, I would go sky-diving, eat my weight in Chicago-style pizza and certainly not go to class. But, if I did that every day, where would I be?
As much as I will miss college when it's over, and as much as I'm going to enjoy this last semester with my friends and fellow seniors, I don't want it to be any different than any other semester at Notre Dame.
There are certainly things I will do more of, and others I will do less of, but the beauty of this last semester is I get to keep doing exactly what I've been doing — being a college, nay, a Notre Dame, student.
If I spend every day thinking it's my last something, I simply won't be able to enjoy everything this semester will bring. I'd rather look at the positives than the negatives. Will I remember my last first day any more fondly come May just because I thought of it that way?
That being said, my New Year's resolution is to live up this last semester of college. While school, my thesis and finding a job will certainly keep my busy, this is the end of those bygone days of ease and irresponsibility that college allows. Well, I don't actually know if that is true at this school, but I suppose the real world will be harder regardless.
So according to this resolution, I won't miss a thing. And that's how I'd like to see it. This isn't my last semester so much as it is my ultimate (in many senses of the word) semester.
I guess my argument is really just about semantics — call them your lasts if you really want to. But for me, in not doing that, I know that I'm going to enjoy my time here even more. Yes, it will come to an end in a few months, but rather than think about that, I'm just going to do college — the friends, the fun, even the work — in the best way I can. First, last or otherwise.
Frankly, even though this is my last semester, I can't wait to take it on.
