I’ve never been a fan of the idea that college is “the best four years of your life.” It seems perversely pessimistic to me, the idea that after you graduate, the best years of your life will be behind you, before you even hit the quarter century mark.
However, I have come to learn though that, while you should make a life for yourself that only gets better with each passing year, college will definitely be some of the most unusual four years of your life. You couldn’t recreate the experience even if you wanted to.
Once you graduate, it will become painfully clear that there are a handful of experiences you can only really take advantage of while you’re in college. Such as…
Having all of your friends living within walking distance.
You may room with a close friend post-college, or even live in the same city as a handful of them, but never again will you be able to walk to any of their rooms at any time of day or night you please. Having a plethora of friends living on virtually the same schedule is a luxury only afforded to those who go to school on the same campus; cherish that now. Post-college you can expect a lot of effort to go into seeing each other at a time that works best for both of you—and realistically only a couple of times a year if you live in different cities.
Student discounts on everything.
It seems small and insignificant now, but getting student discounts on everything from books and movie tickets to car insurance and computers is a benefit you want to capitalize on while you still can. It won’t be until after you graduate, and are using your student ID, silently praying they won’t call you out on it being expired, that you realize just how much cheaper being a college student can make your life.
Your seemingly limitless alcohol tolerance.
It’s not fair, and for the life of me I don’t understand why or how it works this way, but for whatever reason the second you walk across the stage at graduation, it seems there is an invisible transaction that takes place between your high-tolerance liver and your diploma. Regardless of what anyone else tells you, you’re not actually a real ‘adult’ until you have three day hangovers after drinking half as much as you would on a night out in college, when you used to be able to black out yet still make it to an 8 am class. Hangovers are much, much different after college, and you (and your liver) will miss your college-self while suffering them.
The dating pool.
Even if you go to a small school and consistently complain about the lack of potential boyfriends/girlfriends around you, it’s important to know now that it will only get a lot worse and a lot more difficult post-college. I can just about guarantee you that a few years from now, if you’re still single, you are going to wonder why you didn’t make more of an effort to meet someone while you were still in college.
Easy way to live abroad.
Studying abroad isn’t for everyone, but if there is one regret that many post-grads admit to, it’s not taking advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. Will it be cheap? No, but will it be more affordable now than any other time in your life? Most likely. It might seem like too much work to plan and arrange right now, but I can guarantee you it is not something you will regret doing. But you don’t need to take my word for it. Your friends who do study abroad will talk about nearly nothing else for the first three months they get back.
An endless supply of ways to boost your resume.
Between Greek life, work-study options, internship programs, community service opportunities, and various organizations, there is no better time or place to build your resume than college. Get involved in your community and volunteer now while your schedule allows it. Every college campus is booming with options for personal and professional development. Are there other things you would rather be doing with your time? I’m sure. But taking advantage of the opportunities that are basically throwing themselves at you now isn’t something you want to pass on. After college you’re left pretty much with the companies you work for. Boring.
[Lead image via Shutterstock]
