Anna-Catherine Kueng ~ Assistant Editor
Since coming back from break, I have been noticing a change in the weather, the scenery, and just the overall atmosphere on-campus. The temperature is rising, the flowers are blooming, and the sun is setting later. I am starting to see students doing homework on the Dell again. All these things remind me of my first few weeks of college, and it is a bittersweet feeling.
So much has changed since August and it is crazy how fast time goes. Sometimes I feel like I have been in college forever, while other times I cannot believe I am actually out of high school. When I look at my academic report and see my credits, I almost forget that I have already completed one semester of college!
With only a few weeks left of second semester, I am starting to have mixed feelings about my freshman year coming to an end. I am relieved that summer break is coming, but I also am going to miss being in Lynchburg with my friends for three months. I know I still have three more years as a Hornet, and thank goodness I’m not graduating yet because I don’t think I could emotionally handle it, but it’s still bittersweet to realize I will never be a first-year college student again.
For example, I have made so many happy memories living in Montgomery, but soon I will be packing up my things and telling my residence hall goodbye. I am trying to accept that change is a good thing and there is a certain point in life when you need to move on from things, but it’s not always easy to realize that in the moment.
If I spend my days wishing I could go back to the past, I am wasting the present and inhibiting myself from being excited about future opportunities.
I think change is hard to accept because the past feels safer. It’s comfortable, and you know what to expect; but, when a new season of life arrives, it can be frightening. I remember on the way home from my last youth group mission trip, I started crying because I swore I would never be as happy as I was during the trip. My mom reassured me that I would have just as awesome trips in college, and she was right.
Change can be scary, but is is a natural part of life. More than that, it is a good part of life. Just like I didn’t want to stay in high school for the rest of my life, I also realize I am not meant to be a college student forever. It’s all about enjoying where you are while looking forward to what is to come.
As one of my favorite bands, Sleeping At Last, says, “I understand the past will be the past, and nothing changes that, but the future is brighter than any flashback.”
