As a kid, my dad used to drive past what is now my former high school saying, “That’s going to be your school one day,” every morning. To this, I would respond with a typical answer expressing my disapproval. This is not because I dreaded high school, though. Rather, it was because I was aware that time stopped for no one. I’ve always been fearful of change although it’s the only constant in life. I always knew this, so why did I expect college to be any different? 

Now that I’ve graduated high school and entered college life, I can easily say that they were right. The adults that instilled the rhetoric, “Your high school years will fly by” into my mind weren’t joking. With a blink of an eye, it seems as though my freshman through senior years vanished — this, too, rings true about college. Yet another month has flown by although it feels like just yesterday people were referencing Taylor Swift’s “August” at the start of September. 

With the passing of time comes the sense of a narrowing window. There are countless opportunities and dreams to achieve. However, with busy schedules and workloads, it can also feel frightening when your next steps aren’t clear. Ultimately, “time flies when you’re having fun” is accurate, but doesn’t encapsulate the entire picture. Despite this, chasing your academic ambitions does not mean that you have to neglect the small moments from your day-to-day. So, rather than walking to your next class checking your emails on your phone, why not observe what’s around you for just a moment? Or spend your lunch break calling your loved ones back home for a brief catch-up.

What’s missing here is acceptance. If I were to have accepted the everlasting continuance of time all those years ago perhaps I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this. At the start of the semester, I told myself I’d appreciate the minor moments to cherish after all that’s said and done. I want to remember the positives of my college experience at the end of my four years — from the swaying of the autumn tree leaves to wholesome picnics with friends. 

The months flying by are inevitable, but what isn’t is how you choose to spend your time. While college is stressful and there’s no avoiding the slippage of time, there are methods of slowing it down — at least making it seem as though it is. With everything in life, it’s only a matter of perspective.