When your ‘FDOC’ turns into your ‘LFDOC’
By James Ensor// Editor in Chief
The first day of class for college students is commonly known as “FDOC.” Everyone gets so excited for their first day back to class; however, this was my last first day of class. It was the last semester of college before adulting. It was the last semester before the scary “real world.” After coming to this realization, I began to think about my experience at High Point University and how things have changed for the better over the course of my four years on campus.
Throughout the day on Jan. 10, the first day of the semester, I received snapchats and text messages with the same message, “Happy FDOC!” As any quality friend would do, I responded back wishing all of my friends a happy FDOC . It wasn’t until partway through the day, however, that I realized that the start of this semester was my last FDOC…ever.
I joined the HPU family in the fall of 2013. Since then I’ve met some of my best friends, joined Greek Life, have had three internships and two jobs, and have had the opportunity to travel the world. My experience at HPU has been nothing short of extraordinary, but once May 6 rolls around I will no longer be a college student. All of these experiences I’ve had makes me truly appreciate this school and all of the friends I’ve gained because of it.
This semester seems like the “semester of lasts” for me – I’ve already had my last FDOC, my last Family Weekend, and my last Bid Day as a Greek Life member. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of a long list of events that I will no longer have the opportunity to experience after graduation.
With many events coming to a close, the class of 2017 will be able to start a long list of firsts – our first job, our first apartment and our first car purchase. The world is ours to achieve anything we set our mind to. When you start a book of firsts, you also have to close with a book of lasts.
I will no longer be able to experience two free concerts during a school year or get corn on Derby Day. I will no longer be able to cheer on my fraternity at Greek Week. I won’t be able to go to any more formals or Prime reservations dressed to the nine. I will no longer be able to feel the excitement after getting a Cottrell conference room to study in all to myself. I will no longer have to wake up for my 7:50 a.m. class. Instead, I will be putting on professional wear everyday and going to a full-time job.
The idea of experiencing something for the last time is bitter sweet; however, it makes you appreciate what you have been given in life and what is yet to come. Being a second semester senior overwhelms me with many emotions – happiness, excitement, fear and nostalgia.
Now, almost a third of the way through February, I savor every moment I have left at HPU. As an underclassman, it was easy for me to skip an event by simply thinking that I could go the next time it occurred. Now, I don’t have the liberty to say, “I’ll go next time.” College is all about new experiences, so why not have as many as you can?
Furthermore, I have so many great memories to look back on from my four years at HPU. If you surround yourself with good people and become part of great organizations, your college career will be successful. College is the place to learn from your mistakes and achieve as much as you can.
I’ve adopted a “Carpe Diem” attitude towards the rest of senior year. I want to experience as much as I can with the amount of time I have left. While some seniors are counting down the days until the last day of classes, I will be pushing my last LDOC off for as long as possible. This is not to say I’m not ready to graduate or that I’m wanting to avoid the “real world,” I’m simply wanting to stay in a place that I consider home.
It’s hard to think about a huge part of your life ending, but I encourage all seniors to take the rest of the semester to reflect on their HPU experience and ways to make it even better. Make as many memories as you can before we have to depart on May 6. We are less than 100 days until graduation; let’s make these last few months extraordinary!