The completion of Friday the 21st will mark the third week of this semester. Classes are well underway. Schedules have been normalized. This being my senior year of college, I’ve been pretty nostalgic, thinking back to my first year at Calvin. I didn’t get involved in anything. I was a commuter student who only hung out with a small group of friends on campus and went directly home right after my last class.

I went to school to go to school. I didn’t want any part of a club or social group. I saw Chimes and thought, “Maybe I’ll get involved with that.” But I didn’t really think I would. And I didn’t my first year. Sophomore year I kind of got pulled into it somehow and I became the features editor. But my first year, I ignored most, if not all, opportunities that came my way.

Don’t be first-year-student me.

From where I started, not wanting to get involved in anything, to where I am now, the Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper, doesn’t seem that far of a distance now. The steps I took were simple. The commitments I gave were easy to give. I was afraid of getting too involved, but there was nothing to be afraid of.

College is a time for learning and growth. Those two things should not exclusively take place in the classroom. There are so many opportunities to be had during your four years at Calvin that you can find something that will suit you. Don’t let these years go by in ease. Get involved in something, even if it isn’t academic. Even if you aren’t in your first year.

I’m a very introverted person, and I still managed to find a large group of people that I enjoy being around: the Chimes team. That team has changed dramatically since I first started, but my love for Chimes has not. I have found a place on campus where I am comfortable and where I am gaining experience to help me in the future.

The only regret I have in regards to my college career is not getting involved in Chimes my first year at Calvin. Working for Chimes has been stressful, has been hard, aggravating, frustrating, headache-inducing and even tear-provoking. But I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. Between the bad moments there have been infinite good moments. And they are what make everything worth it.

So find your niche. Whether it be Chimes or not (but it could very well be Chimes so maybe come down to our office sometime). Find your good moments: the moments you’ll learn from and look back on when you’re long graduated from Calvin.