Written by Madalyn Chapman, Coffee Connoisseur
If COVID-19 has taught us anything, one of the most important things should be the importance of immediacy. College students across the country, and the world, have lost valuable time that they thought they had. Seniors have lost graduation ceremonies. Seniors and underclassmen alike have lost time with friends, professors, and time on their college campuses that they thought was a certainty. The importance of immediacy has never been more apparent, and COVID-19 serves as an excellent opportunity to reflect on how we spend our time. Here are three tips from a senior on how to make the most of your time in college.
Make the plans. It is so easy to say “oh we need to get coffee sometime,” and mean it, but then never actually do it. When you want to do something with someone, talk to them and set plans to do it. Want to go to Macado’s with your friends for drinks Thursday night? Talk to them about it. Want to try the coffee place in Roanoke that everyone is raving about but you’ve never been to? Do it! Whether it’s by yourself or with friends, set up some plans and go do it!
Be sure you have a balance. When referring to “the importance of immediacy,” this is not to say you should just drop your homework and whatever obligations you have to go and make never-ending plans with your besties. At the same time, you should not get so caught up in always doing homework that you forget to have fun with your friends. If you have something due the next day that you haven’t done, take a raincheck. If you’re getting ahead or have some time, do something with your friends that will make your heart happy.
Try new things. It may sound cliché, but it’s important. Even if you’re not a huge thespian, go to a Roanoke College theater production. Even if you’re not super athletic, check out the Belk Fitness Center. Go to a concert. Go to Bittle’s Bash. Join an intramural sports team if you don’t have the skill or time commitment for one of the official teams. In the words of Nike: JUST DO IT. Try anything once. Worst case scenario, you lose a bit of time and realize you don’t like something. Best case scenario, you meet a new friend, discover a new hobby or interest, or at the very least get to tick something off of your Roanoke College bucket list.
Take it from a senior who’s kicking themselves over all the things they had planned to do but never got to. Do it. Make the plans. Don’t assume you can do it later because you’ll “always have more time.” Take it from COVID-19: the future is never certain and can change at the drop of a hat. Take advantage of the present and do the best you can with it.
