At the end of last semester, I found out that the Daily Kent Stater needed features writers. I had just graduated with my undergrad and was committing this semester to working in Cleveland and finishing my master’s thesis. If there was one thing I knew I wasn’t going to have a lot of this semester, it was time, and so of course I said I would love to take on writing for KSUbuzz and the Daily Kent Stater.

The past 15 weeks have been a whirlwind, and I can’t believe that a.) they’re almost done and b.) I’m really almost finished at Kent State.

Everyone wants to share their life lessons as they graduate and become “adults.” I don’t know that I can impart any significant knowledge, but I can reveal some of the truths I’ve learned while surrounded by 25,000 of my closest friends over the last four years.

The people you meet freshman year never go away. They don’t necessarily have to be your friends, but you will consistently run into that guy you had Music as a World Phenomenon with or that one girl who was in your College Writing class. It is a law of Kent State that once you know a face, you’ll never stop seeing it. You should say hi to these people. Don’t act like you don’t know them. Being friendly is a wonderful quality.

Plus… Everyone actually knows everyone. It defies all logic that a school this big is so tiny. You will experience this at least once:  It turns out two of your good friends also happen to be good friends, and YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT. You thought you were a matchmaker, but Kent State did the work for you.

Remember that thing about everyone knowing everyone? That’s also why you should watch who you sleep with, and we all have friends who can testify to this. Seriously. This seems self-explanatory. Maybe don’t sleep with that girl and then her friend a week later. Have you ever heard of a fairy tale ending? You won’t get one.

Downtown Kent is beautiful all of the time, even if you hate the fact that it’s located in northeast Ohio and is doomed to northeast Ohio weather patterns. There isn’t anything better than a caramel macchiato at Tree City in the middle of winter when your car is being fixed (my life, on multiple occasions) or a beer on Zephyr’s patio on a hot summer night. Whether you’re on campus in a dorm or down the street in a house on College, make the trek to downtown Kent and take advantage of all it has to offer.

You should also spend a spring day walking downtown, and stop in Last Exit Books. It’s easy to get lost in there for hours.

You did not make a mistake by coming to Kent State for school. You will hear this sentiment from people throughout your four years, something along the lines of, “I could’ve gone to [insert any other school in the world here].” The thing is, you didn’t go to that other school. And regardless of what dropped you at Kent State (affordability, a certain program, the ability to commute – whatever), you need to make the most of your time here.

If you take advantage of the endless opportunities the institution provides, you will leave with an experience that’s better than you could have received anywhere else. It is only because I came to Kent State that I had the opportunity to travel to six European countries in four years and take an incredible internship in New York City after my sophomore year. I don’t believe that could’ve happened anywhere else. I didn’t make a mistake in choosing Kent State, and neither did you.

You can learn a lot at Kent State, and you can learn a lot about it in the same amount of time. It’s been a weird, wonderful four years. See you at Zephyr.