Ask any college student how they are doing right now, and the response will probably be a combination of mumbles groans and a tear or two. Dead week sucks. I’m not going to sugar coat it, and say that I’m not having multiple mental breakdowns every day. I’m not going to say that it’s all fine and dandy, but I will say something different.
Through the midst of all of the finals week chaos, I always seem to realize something. I realize that in these moments, I’m creating some of the best years of my life. It’s when I’m sitting in the library with my friends at 1am, knowing that we have to be up in less than 5 hours for PT, laughing about a guy next to us who’s screaming over the phone about statistics. It’s when I walk around campus in between classes and get to see the Old Capitol perfectly framed by the sunlight. It’s when I’m up before it’s even light out, and realize that the sun hitting the Iowa River perfectly as it is rising makes it all worth it. It’s when I seem to enjoy a night with friends 10x more than normal, because I remember that this isn’t going to be my life forever. It’s when the end of the semester brings about the realization that some of my professors are more like friends and mentors. It’s when I notice that I might have actually learned a useful thing or two during the semester. It’s the almost daily post workout breakfasts with the people I consider family. It’s meeting someone new, just when you thought you had already met everyone you could love. It’s when you notice that you’ve made it through yet another semester, and may actually be able to accomplish even the hardest things. It’s when something you’ve worked hard for becomes so worth it when it all works out. It’s when you have once and a lifetime experiences – like being on the field at Kinnick or running half way to Ames with the game ball. It’s when you take a minute and notice that you’ve actually created a life for yourself. One with friendships that will last a lifetime, and lessons that will help you through anything that gets thrown your way.
So yes, this time of year consists of projects and finals and a lack of sleep and unhealthy amounts of coffee, but it’s always this time of year I remember just how lucky I am to be a Hawkeye. Just how much I love calling this place home, and just how much I want to soak up every little minute, because a year and a half from now I’ll be having to say goodbye to some of the best years of my life.
Until Next Time
Go Hawks!