As my junior year begins to unfold, I am slowly beginning to realize how close we are to the real world.
OWU is a safe haven; it’s a four-year bubble where we, as students, are afforded the opportunity to explore academic interests, hone our social skills and learn how to effectively juggle a growing list of responsibilities.
We are allowed to escape the realities of a full time job, electricity bills and cooking our own dinners each night.
Coming into this year, I was happy knowing I still had two full years left to enjoy at OWU before I would have to start thinking about any of that. Then it hit me, I already need to start preparing for life after OWU, even while I am still here enjoying it.
I just recently signed up for an LSAT prep course and realized that I will need to take that exam shortly in order to have time to finish other requirements and apply to schools next fall, which I know will be around the corner much sooner than it sounds. I have friends that are spending semesters abroad, taking semesters off for internships and working towards obtaining real jobs.
At this point, it is comforting to know that we will all still meet back at OWU in the near future, but it is just a glimpse of the years to come when we will all be out on our own, making a difference and keeping in touch through Facebook, emails and text messages.
Each year I return to OWU, my love for the university and the people I have met here grows exponentially. I think every now and then it is good to remind ourselves what a great deal we have here at OWU.
Our friends live no more than a five minute walk across campus at most, our professors are willing to advise us on both personal and academic matters and, even though we may complain about the food choices sometimes, meals are always ready and waiting for us to show up at a dining hall on campus.
So, although we are all growing up and will need to start preparing for our futures, we should take the time to appreciate where we are at this very moment.
We should take every opportunity that comes our way, allow fun memories to form and appreciate any hardships we face because these years will forever shape who we are as we go out into the real world.
Lucky for us, we chose the right school because OWU is a great place to be shaped.
Marissa Alfano
Editor-in-Chief