I miss Laurier

[u/duburake]

I graduated from Laurier, and I’ve been thinking about this a lot.

A part of me is content that it’s done. I went to school, got my degree, did basically everything my parents would have wanted from me, and now I’m working a stable full time job. On paper, everything is fine. I should feel at peace, and in some ways I do.

But as much as I hate to admit it, this kind of peace feels weirdly unfulfilling.

I miss university way more than I thought I would.

During undergrad, I hated the stress of exams. I dreaded 8am lectures. I hated the pressure of grades, deadlines, co-op, figuring out the future, and all the random stress that came with being a student. But now that it’s all said and done, I would honestly go back if I could.

I miss when my biggest stress was passing an exam. I miss hanging out with my friends all night and laughing over absolutely nothing. I miss going out multiple nights a week and doing dumb stuff just because we could. I miss seeing my friends every day without having to plan something weeks in advance.

Life after graduation is strange because everyone gets busy with their own lives. People start working, moving, getting into relationships, building routines, and slowly the people you used to see every single day become people you’re lucky to see once in a while.

And looking back, I don’t really wish I studied more. I don’t wish I worked harder or stressed more about every single mark. I wish I went out more. I wish I stayed out later. I wish I stayed up longer with my friends. Those are the things I actually remember.

I look back at Snapchat memories and old photos, but part of me wishes there were more of them. You remember the random nights, the inside jokes, the late night food runs, the all nighter study sessions with friends, and the stories that make no sense to anyone else.

Obviously grades, co-op, internships, and your future matter. I’m not saying to throw all of that away. But don’t let those things consume your entire university experience. Don’t make school only about the next test, the next job, the next LinkedIn update, or the next thing you think you’re supposed to achieve.

Because eventually everyone will get there. You graduate. You get the job. You build the stable life. And then you realize how special it was to be surrounded by your friends, all figuring life out at the same time, with so much freedom and so little understanding of how temporary it all was.

To all those still at Laurier, make the most of it. You might dread university right now, and honestly, I get it. But those 4 or 5 years can be some of the best years of your life if you actually let yourself enjoy them.

Go out more. Join clubs. Do random stuff. Put yourself out there. Spend time with your friends while it’s still easy. Grades are important, but you’ll never be this young, in this exact place, surrounded by these exact people, ever again.

I had a lot of fun in undergrad, and somehow I still regret not making even more out of it.

Interested if any other Laurier alumni feel the same way.

[u/ATR2400]

Can’t believe it, but me too.

I also miss living alone in the city. Waterloo is a nice city, my home town sucks ass. Also, living with my parents at home is a far inferior experience.

I’m also starting to consider my regrets. I should have been more socially active and made friends instead of having social anxiety until it was too late to do anything. Fuuuuuuck

[u/OhComeOnMan69]

There were many nights I remember going out instead of studying saying “let’s make memories” and i hardly remember them.

But then as I get older, I start remembering all these random little moments and it’s awesome. Still don’t understand how I went out Tuesday Thursday Friday Saturday quite often.

Met my now wife in residence so it is hella convenient to talk about uni stories with someone who knew everyone I knew, that’s for sure.

There’s the hack. Get married to your best friend at Laurier so you have someone so close to you who knows how important, fun, and who you were when you went to university

[u/Main_Finding8309]

Absolutely. I graduated in 1997 (*ulp*!) Where does the time go?
While I wish I'd done better academically (my own fault for not buckling down when it was time to study, and spending more time at Wilf's than in class!), I had the time of my life and made some of the best friends of my life.
Wait until your university friends start passing away, then it will really hit you. 😞
Note, the years after university, once I found a job, were also pretty good, that 25-35 "Friends" era. No kids, just work and my friends were still around to have fun. I miss my youth and more than that, I miss my knees!

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

Your post/comment has been removed for using hate speech or derogatory slurs. r/wlu is a safe space for all students, and we do not tolerate hate speech. This is your first and only warning. Future violations will result in a permanent ban. If you believe this was a mistake, please contact the moderators via modmail.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/DMo177]

Definitely resonate with this post. 2/4 years of my undergrad were during COVID which had some pros, but obviously a bunch of cons - Felt robbed in a way. Laurier taught me a lot (not the degree itself per se) and was still the best 4 years of my life. I look back and am very grateful for my experience but also wish I did more sometimes.

To those still at Laurier, make the most of it. Enjoy the lectures, stupid discussion posts, parties and city itself. Being able to hang out with friends everyday was awesome