Photo provided by Julia Weis.

I didn’t think this moment would come so soon. Senior year, especially the spring semester, just flew by. And here I am along with my 600-something number of peers, getting ready to graduate.

I’m finding myself feeling very nostalgic at this point in time with only two more weeks to go, so I apologize if this comes off as a journal entry. I hope that by the end of it, I can convey some thoughts about my Trinity experience that might resonate with you.

Some of the most impactful parts of my college experience were the experiences I gained through joining organizations and the relationships I developed with friends, staff and faculty because of it.

Joining the Trinitonian was one of my best accidents of college. I joined the internship class my first year because it was called “Communication Internship,” and I thought that would be helpful for my communication major. Little did I know that it would be taught by Katharine Martin, adviser to Campus Publications, who would become one of my mentors and favorite adults at Trinity. She taught me the basics of journalism and encouraged me to apply to the Trinitonian, dramatically shifting the course of my college career. Four years later, I’ve worked five different positions on this staff and learned so much from each of them.

I am a firm believer in the fact that you learn more in school outside of the classroom than inside. There is so much to learn from the organizations you join and the people you meet. There is so much to learn just from living in a dorm and with complete strangers.

That being said, take advantage of the resources inside of the classroom. I had a lot of valuable experiences exploring classes outside of my major and discovering what I’m interested in.

Of course, it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone has a good time here. There are definitely barriers to success, and I have come from a pretty privileged position to have been able to overlook that. I want to recognize that you don’t have to love it here, and your feelings are valid if you have issues with the way things are done at Trinity.

College was an incredible period of growth for me. I learned so much more about myself, my interests, my study habits and other aspects of growing up than I could have ever imagined.

I’ve learned that you don’t usually get the classes you want. I’ve learned that after sleeping less than seven hours or more than nine, I’m not a fun person to talk to. I’ve learned that people who you consider close friends may not think the same of you. I’ve learned that no matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to budget your Bonus Bucks.

Now that this is coming to an end, I’m realizing that this is very cliche. I’m sorry, readers! I’m not very original. If you’re going to take something away from this column, remember this: the parts of college that you’re going to look back on and remember are not going to be your late nights in CSI.