University of Southern Indiana's student publication | USI | student newspaper

The Shield

University of Southern Indiana's student publication | USI | student newspaper

The Shield

University of Southern Indiana's student publication | USI | student newspaper

The Shield

Pep talk: last semester for class of 2014

Alright Class of 2014. This is our time. The moment we’ve been waiting nearly four years for – Graduation.

With that glorious day looming about 100 days away, most of us are entering the final stages of Senioritis: a serious and contagious disease which usually affects those entering their final years of college.

While it may be easier to let Senioritis take over, you shouldn’t, and here’s why: It could make your GPA plummet. Carrying a decent GPA through college isn’t too difficult of a task. If you slack off for the last semester, it could send your GPA toppling down a few points.

For those applying to graduate school or people who are entering a field where employers pay close attention to grades, this can be detrimental. So suck it up and trudge through the last days of college knowing it will all be over soon.

Aside from grades, another reason not to disconnect during your last semester of college is pretty simple and obvious. This is your last semester of college. Most of us will never be in school again, and that’s okay. But this is exactly why you should savor the last days and enjoy every moment possible.

It’s very unlikely that we’ll be in a place like a university again. A place where we’re surrounded by our peers who are similar and different from us at that same time.

A place that cultivates and encourages creative thinking and helps grow phenomenal people who will make a difference in this world.

When will we ever have access to all of the amazing things a university provides again? While rushing through your final year of school seems like the most desirable and viable option, I encourage my fellow classmates to do everything they can to make these last days count.

Go to the free lectures on campus  you would never dream of going to, you know, the ones that your professors bribe you with extra credit to go to.

Go skinny dipping in Reflection Lake but don’t tell anyone I told you to. Also, maybe wait until it gets a little warmer.

Take one last stab at getting involved on campus if you haven’t before, or if you’re one of those super involved people, try out a club or organization that you have never considered joining. If you have room for it, which, if you’re like me, you don’t, take a class that has nothing to do with your major.

Go to a few basketball games and cheer on our men, who are currently championing a 10-0 season.

Find a way to get onto the roof of the library.

Start a campus demonstration. Go on a blind date. Get a picture with Archie the Eagle.

Crash a campus tour with the AMIGOs and maybe learn a few things about the campus you’ve been treading on for four years. But most importantly, don’t obsess over what you’re going to do after graduation. I’m not saying completely ignore it, but try to enjoy your last moments at USI because the next time you step foot on this campus after May 3, you’ll be an alumni looking at it from a completely different point of view – the view of an adult. Scary thought, I know.