Maybe it’s just because I’ve been doing a lot of looking back recently, but it seems as though these last few years of college have gone by faster than the first few. And now, just as it feels like I’m settling into a groove, I’ve come to my last semester here at UW-Eau Claire. And I think I’m slowly figuring out how to feel about that.

I have really enjoyed my time at Eau Claire. I’ve made a lot of great friends, done some fun things and learned about myself in the process. I have actually been dreading the end of my college career for some time now. Almost all of my friends will still be in school when I graduate, which probably makes it harder to move on. If they get to stay and have fun, why can’t I?

But as I’ve thought about it some more, I think this is a good time to end this chapter of my life and begin a new one. Eau Claire has been great to me, but I’m starting to get the itch to get out and start being a real adult.

If you would have told me two years ago that I would be anticipating entering the real world instead of staying in school, I would have laughed in your face. And I would have immediately apologized, because that would have been unbelievably rude of me.

I’ve gotten over the fear of losing contact with all my friends once I leave school. I keep in contact with all the people from high school I care about and don’t miss too many people with whom I’ve lost contact. I’m absolutely going to miss seeing my buds on a daily basis, but they’re still going to be part of my life going forward.

And I’ve gained more confidence in my ability to, you know, function in the real world. That comes from working at The Spectator and pushing myself harder than I did my first two years in college. And while I still have a billion things to improve on and even more to learn, working at the paper has showed me that, not only do I love doing this work, but I might not be too bad at it either.

So it’s with a fair bit of excitement and optimism that we here at The Spectator welcome our fellow Blugolds back for another semester. We are really proud of the work we do at the paper and always appreciate the support from other students. We are your voice and we try to remember that with every article and every issue.

Personally, I couldn’t be happier to spend my last semester on campus as editor-in-chief of The Spectator. This paper, and the people who have worked on it with me these last three semesters, have meant so much to me. They’ve helped me when I’ve needed them and have been there for me through ups and downs. To me, this staff is family.

So if, like me, this is your last semester, enjoy it as best you can. While I am ready to move on, I fully expect college to be the most fun time I’ll have in my adult life. Hopefully it’s been as great a ride for you as it has been for me.

If you are not finishing up this semester, don’t take your time here for granted. Before you know it, you’ll be gone.