This is my last column for The Daily Eastern News. It is, I’m sure, one of the many “last” things I’ll experience in the next few weeks as the semester, my last semester, finishes up.

For four years, I’ve attended classes and participated in college life at Eastern. For four years, I’ve spent countless hours in 1811 Buzzard Hall, the newsroom. For 2 1/2 of those years, I’ve had a regular column. I haven’t always known what to write about, and this time is really no different. What I have written about and will write about may not really mean much to everybody, but I’m going to pass along some tidbits of information.

Graduating means people you have become best friends with could be spread out all over the state, if not farther. It’s not a fun idea, but I’m confident the friendships that matter will remain.

The best spot on campus is the part of the Panther Trail that surrounds wide open fields. It’s south of the football stadium and southwest of the campus pond.

The grass off of this part of the trail is a wonderful place to sit, think and enjoy nature. You’re still on campus, but sometimes you wouldn’t know it. Depending on where you sit or stand, you still can see part of campus – the top of Andrews and Lawson halls for instance – but you’re away from the main hustle and bustle.

It’s almost always quiet out there. You can hear the wind, the grass or trees moving, a bird chirping, occasionally a car motor since it is the back of a neighborhood.

Tailgating and football games make for fun weekends in the fall. Or more likely, it was the people I was with that made those times the most fun.

Top of the Rocs is the best bar in town, even though they changed their Thursday special of $1.50 Skyy Blues and Citronas.

If you need to go to Health Services, first make sure you don’t get deadly sick and expect a doctor’s attention on a weekend, and second, ask for Dr. Baker. Overall, it’s not too bad of a place, although it does seem to think amoxicillin cures all. And sometimes the joke that Health Circus’s response to any illness is the person’s pregnant, even the men, seems to be true.

Good teachers, no matter what the subject is, are patient. They have to be able to teach, not just do or command to be a good teacher.

It’s too hard to name the best class … my English senior seminar on romance and reality, maybe. Sorry if you’re not an English major and can’t take that.

Don’t go home every weekend; don’t go home every other weekend. You’ll miss out on way too much. Don’t say there’s nothing to do in Charleston.

Even though I didn’t check off every item on my list of things to do in college, I finally did make it to Lincoln Log Cabin.

It’s hard to let go of college life, but I have come to accept I have to let go and move on. I definitely could not say that at the beginning of last fall. It even was a little difficult to say back in January when I started forcing myself to believe it would be OK to move on and graduate.

Hope exists for juniors and other underclassmen who are like me, the person who was always glad I was not a graduating senior at this time of the year. You most likely will be ready and will need to move on. But for now, keep being thankful you’re not graduating. College is something to enjoy, and you shouldn’t want out before it’s time.

But when the time does come, let go of the past journey. Don’t forget it; just let go, so you can embrace the future chapter, however uncertain it feels at the time.