For most college students, spring break is synonymous of warm weather, maybe the beach, and a lot of partying. Even those who stay behind in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and all of the other states where warm weather and the ocean are not realities wish they were flying to Miami, Cancun or Los Angeles.

However, for college seniors graduating in May, spring break means something else. It means a mystical week that marks not only a last opportunity to relax before adulthood truly hits, but also the beginning of the final stretch before one of the most exciting — and daunting — days in our lives: May 12, 2018.

After spring break is over, those Kent State students will have five more weeks of classes, followed by finals week and then, to the rush of some and the dread of others, this chapter will end.

I’m scared, but looking forward to what is next. Scared because I don’t yet know what I am doing after graduation. Looking forward because this unpredictability is the beauty of life. Would life be thrilling if you knew exactly what would happen for the rest of your time on Earth? I doubt it.

But I digress. This is not a column about life post-graduation, but a self-awareness call for graduating seniors.

When we come back from break, we only have six more weeks of life as an undergraduate at Kent State. And even if you cannot wait for it to be over, make the best of it. Be mindful enough to realize that, years from now, college will be nothing more than a collection of memories. Positive memories, mostly. So go make some before it’s too late.

If you haven’t eaten at a traditional downtown restaurant, do it. If you haven’t gotten a long island at Ray’s, now is the time (provided you’re of age — but if you’re graduating before turning 21, props to you, little genius). Even if you have already experienced what Kent has to offer, enjoying the last bits of time you have around here is still a must.

You’re going to miss your friends, I promise. So grab your phone and do what our generation does best: text. Text everyone. From the girl who used to be your best friend freshman year, to the one classmate you’ve always wanted to grab coffee with. From your closest buddies to those acquaintances you enjoy spending time with now and then. Make plans. Once school is over, you will never see most of them again.

At the end of the day, life is about the people we meet and the relationships we create. College is no exception. We’ve learned — I’d hope — a lot. We’ve been involved, volunteered, gotten real-life experiences through internships, traveled the world while studying abroad and had a blast attending concerts, parties and athletic events. But at the end of the day, what stays is the people.

Fake Paddy’s wouldn’t be fun if you were drinking alone. A one-person student organization wouldn’t accomplish much. A residence hall with only one room would be boring and lifeless.

So as we get to the final stretch, spend time with people. People you love, people you like. Funny people, smart people. People who make you a better person. People who make you laugh.

Ten years from now, you will still remember your friends, even if you can’t remember the function of the cytoplasmic membrane.

Bruno Beidacki is the opinion editor. Contact him at [email protected].