Ahh, it’s the beginning of spring semester. A beautiful time for changes. A time when all the regrets and mistakes from winter melts away. It’s the beginning of a new year, a time when all of us can realize our resolutions (if we still remember what they are).

I have always particularly enjoyed the spring semester at UNC. Everything seems a little more positive. The days are cold, but the snow is melting (metaphorically speaking). Instead of dreading the steady loss of sunlight, we have the warmth of spring to look to. Everything seems a bit more hopeful, people are already making crazy plans for spring break and the tradition of Carolina Basketball basks the student body with pride.

For me, this semester is especially meaningful. After three and a half years of hard work, I have finally reached my last semester here. I’ve looked forward to it for so long, but now that it is actually here, I am inundated with anxiety. What will I actually do when I leave this place? For all the underclassmen, a healthy word of advice is that it is never too early to plan your future. Especially in this pathetic economy, internships and jobs are becoming ever so harder to obtain. Why not start your experience early on?

As for me, I already have my ambitions planned out. I will move to New York, study fashion marketing and eventually become a successful Public Relations spokesperson for a high-end fashion brand. Sounds so glamorous, but I am also well aware of the hardships I will face. Possible rejections, possible disappointments. It’s not like college, where you can simply try a little harder if you fail a class. Failing in life is different and scary to think about.

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Other than worries of my professional future, I am also saddened by the prospect of leaving the group of friends that I have established. Everyone says that true friendships last forever, but is anything certain? I thought that many things would last forever with my previous relationships, but reality proved differently. I’ve learned to always hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

So I have come to realize that nothing in life is certain. The only thing that is, is who I am and what I am capable of. My mom always used to tell me that when your environment disappoints you, you still have yourself and your dreams to lean on. As my last semester unfolds, I plan to make every second count. I will be motivated and live the moment, because sooner or later things change. But hopefully, everything will change for the better because I tried my best.