Everywhere I go nowadays all I hear is people yelling YOLO, or, ”you only live once.” When this is said, it is usually referring to going out and having a good time or doing something crazy, and in my four years at Quinnipiac, I will say, that those days are important. Heck, there are some weekends you need it and I know I’ve had my share of good times (maybe too many).

But if there’s one piece of advice I want to leave with the Quinnipiac community, it is that you only go to college once.

Don’t take these four years for granted. There are so many opportunities around you on this campus that will make your time here special and help prepare you for the real world.

For me, I walked onto this campus four years ago not knowing what college would bring me. I decided to try out for the cross-country team, which I wasn’t sure I could make. I also began writing for the student newspaper, which I wasn’t sure I had time for.

By the start of my senior year I was co-captain of the cross-country team and sports editor of the Chronicle.

So take chances and challenge yourself. Make the most of your time here. When my sister, Kerry, asked me if it was worth joining the Chronicle and eventually applying for an editorial position, I immediately said yes. Getting involved is the best thing you could do in college and you will meet great people and make awesome friends along the way.

College is what you want to make out of it. The things I will remember most are not going to be the Saturday nights at Toad’s (or what I remember of them), but rather the Monday nights in the Chronicle trailer and the 6 a.m. cross country practices during the week.

Those are the days that challenged me. Those are the days that motivated me to work hard. And perhaps most importantly, they also led to making great friends and memories.

So don’t take your four years here for granted. Make the most of it and challenge yourself, because remember, you only go to college once.