From lasts to firsts: Embracing the end of college and the beginning of what's next
My last seven semesters of college have been filled with countless moments of joy that have led me to where I am now: a senior at CU Boulder preparing to graduate in a few short weeks.ĚýĚý
If you’re hopelessly nostalgic like me, you’re already reminiscing on late night study sessions at Norlin when delirium took over and everything was funnier than it should be. Or early Sunday mornings scattered across living room couches debriefing the previous night with your roommates. If you’re like me, you’re romanticizing first-year meals at the C4C and mid-afternoon naps on the tiny dorm beds. And if you’re like me, you feel a tinge of sadness as you realize these wonderful “firsts” in college have quickly become our “lasts.” But as we prepare for graduation and nostalgically celebrate our lasts, it’s equally important that we look ahead at the many more firsts in store for us.ĚýĚýĚý
In the fall, we experienced our last football season as CU students. However, during our time at CU, we were the first to witness the new era of CU Football with Coach Prime. We piled into Folsom Field dressed in black and gold and cheered from the student section as we watched the Buffs make history. But our journey as avid Buffs fans doesn’t end after graduation. I’m excited for our first season as alumni, and I can’t wait for the first reunion with my college roommates during Homecoming weekend. As we close the door to our student years, we open the door to a lifetime of being Forever Buffs.ĚýĚý
This May, we will have our last day of college, perhaps even our last day of school ever. It will be the last time walking to class across the Norlin Quad, admiring the beautiful spring weather. It will be our last time sharing notes with the friend we made in class who was once a stranger but is now a smiling, familiar face. With some relief, we will submit our last homework assignment and turn in our last exam. And we will prepare for our first day somewhere else. Maybe it’s our first day at a new job, the one we worked so hard for. Or maybe it’s our first day in a new city, the place we always dreamed of living and now it’s finally reality. Amid the sadness of what we are leaving behind is the anticipation of the exciting future we have made for ourselves.Ěý
When I reflect on what I will miss most about college, I can’t help but think about the amazing relationships I’ve built throughout my time here. I remember the first time meeting my new roommates as we unloaded boxes from our parents' cars and into our new college house. I remember how quickly I realized that they would be forever friends of mine. I remember the first warm day in February, lying beside other students on the grassy lawns of campus and soaking up the sun while we were supposed to be in class. I remember my first time attending my professor’s office hours, nervously talking about my plans for after graduation. I remember that seemed so far away at the time.Ěý
Sophia McKeown is a fourth-year CMCI student studying Strategic Communication with a double minor in Business and Sports Media. She works as an editorial and marketing student assistant at the CU Boulder Office of Advancement where she writes impact stories and contributes to the Coloradan alumni magazine.Ěý
While many of these relationships are irreplaceable, I know I will carry these lessons in friendship into my post-grad life. And although I won’t live in my college house with my best friends ever again, I am so excited for the first time making memories with people I haven’t even met yet.ĚýĚý
As difficult as it is to experience the lasts of college, I believe it is a privilege to be able to say goodbye. Many of us didn’t get a chance to have our last day of high school, our last prom or even a graduation ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some of us, this year’s commencement might be a first as much as it is a last.ĚýĚý
I am grateful to have the chance to say goodbye, to relish my last walk to class, my last workout at the Rec Center and my last late night on Pearl Street. And as I stare at the cap and gown hanging in my closet, I can’t help but be immensely proud of the Class of 2025 and excited for the next chapter of firsts that awaits us.ĚýĚý
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