It’s that time of year again.

Searching the used bookstore, the campus bookstore and Amazon for the cheapest books. Hoping books and people arrive on time and undamaged. Traffic jams and pedestrian jams and freshman looking lost. Friend reunions and comparisons of class schedules and summer travels.

Class starts on Monday.

I don’t know if I’m ready. I mean, I’ve ordered my books, I’ve organized my schedule, I’ve got all of my ducks lined up in pretty rows, but part of me doesn’t want to start this school year.

It’s one step away from the real world. I’m nine months, nine classes away from leaving Chico and my friends. The moment the school year starts, it’s almost over.

And the problem is that I already know what will happen. A repeat of two years ago, when I was eight classes away from my AA degree. The moment the semester started, it felt like it was over. I was more concerned with ensuring my spring schedule and my transfer to Chico. My grades didn’t suffer, but I didn’t pay attention like I should have. I let myself get sucked into the future without enjoying the present.

I’m afraid that’s going to happen this year, too. ME, who among all my friends is the only one graduating with me, is already looking up available jobs at the publishing companies we would love to work at. She’s filling in the gaps on her resumé, making sure that she’ll have everything future employers will be looking for. And I’ll start that soon too. Nine months to forge a resumé that is as inclusive as possible, that makes me sound like the second coming and that failing to hire me would be a sin.

I have six classes this semester, and so much to do outside, it’s scary. I have to help ME in running Sigma Tau and attempt to make it less snobby. We have to make sure there is at least one person who wants to run for office next year. I have to organize our greek week offering—and convince the others that we need to do it, because the others don’t think an honor society should mingle with the commoners. There’s a booksale fundraiser to be put together, and open mic night, fliers and emails and websites. I have to learn InDesign more, find a mentor in the Communications Design department so that when I have issues while in the middle of my internship, I’ll have someone to turn to.

I also need to make time to write. I need to get in the habit again, get words flowing. Now is the perfect time to write a book. To write multiple books, and hope to get one published by graduation. Not only would that seriously add to the resumé, it would probably back all of my student loans.

But while I get enmeshed into all of this, I don’t want to forget to make time for my friends. Because I need them. We need to laugh and make fun of movies and complain about tests and texts and teachers. I need to figure out what’s going on with E or move on.

I need to not forget how awesome it is to be in this place at this time with these people.

Tagged: on Friday, August 22, 2008 · 3 Comments »