We are in denial. Apparently, our four-year college careers are about to end. We bought one-way non-refundable tickets to the real world. We are sitting at the gate waiting for our planes, but it’s all too much for us to take in. We have always been firm believers in the philosophies of carpe diem (seize the day) and, as we say, carpe nocturnum (seize the night). We’ve lived our college lives crossing lines and living life to the fullest with no regrets. But we’re having a spring breakdown about leaving college.

Like you haven’t.

We have (along with every other graduating senior on college campuses nationwide), and we don’t know how to deal with the inevitable. If you haven’t had the breakdown yet, you soon will: guaranteed. The following is our “how to” guide for what to expect when you’re expecting (to leave college).

Living in denial and anticipation has become our only way of life. We can’t get together without counting the “lasts” — like the last time we would see each other before graduation. As we cried into our margaritas, we stood back for a second and realized that we were acting like idiotas.  Most of our sentences begin or end with “I can’t even think about it.” Need a “how to” for overcoming living in constant denial and anticipation? Drink. Just kidding. Throw yourselves a goodbye party so you can commiserate with the rest of your graduating friends. Or, you can add another major so you can stick around for another year. We promise we won’t judge.

Jenny rationalized the importance of recognizing (before the quarter ends) who the important people are in your life and maximizing the time you spend with them. Downplay the time you spend with those whose good-byes won’t break your heart. A bit brutal? Yes. Necessary? Obvi.  If you spend more time with the important people, your bond will strengthen and memories will smoothly transcend the end of commencement. Need a “how to” for deciding which friends to spend time with before you graduate? Decide which people you cannot live without and make them a priority in your life.

Lately, we have an unnatural, inexplicable need to carpe diem and have some reckless fun. We have had more fun since January than we did the rest of our four years. Why? We knew our time was ending. Grabbing every chance at fun has become our new mantra that helps us cope with living in our constant state of denial. We recommend you spontaneously fly to Boston for a weekend and tour the city with the son of the former Massachusetts governor like we did.  Random fun helps with the coping, we promise. Take random road trips to visit your friends who attend other schools. Make a list of things you want to do before you graduate and execute the list — whether the activities are elaborate or simple, you will feel better about leaving.

As you are busy living it up spring quarter style, there is one thing you may accidentally forget about: classes. How can you balance schoolwork and spending time with friends? Easy. Spend time with friends, especially if you have a job lined up for after graduation. Just make sure to put in effort during finals week. Do you really want to do a victory lap and be in school for one more quarter? (Don’t answer that.)

Make goodbyes quick. From experience, we know saying goodbye is difficult. We cannot offer a “how to” say goodbye because saying goodbye is unpleasant — we are just hoping we will feel better as time passes. Stay in touch right away.

Don’t live in the past, but remember this time is appropriate to reminisce. Start sentences with “Remember that time we …” Also, seize every opportunity you have to spend time with the people who matter. Too tired to be social? Sacrifice your sleep, push through and socialize for the times in the near future you will be unable. To help with coping, have something for which to look forward. For example, we are looking forward to a September weekend trip to visit a mutual friend in San Diego. It’s what is keeping us from hiding in bed with the covers over our heads.

Remember the good times.

So when the gate attendant calls your seat for priority boarding, run for the gate. And as you’re sitting on the plane, remember that time you coveted the über-hot professor, that crazy Memorial Day weekend you spent in Hilton Head or that time you realized your new friends would be friends for life. For those are the times you can never experience again. Fasten your seatbelts; we’re expecting some turbulence.

“You cannot learn from a book [[i]starts tearing out pages from textbook[/i]]. Replace these pages with life lessons, and then you will have a book that's worth its weight in gold. I know these are expensive, but the lesson is priceless.” – The Office

Emily Smith is a senior marketing major, and writes this week’s column with help from her friend Jenny Oak, a student at Bowling Green State University. Send Emily your condolences at es303004@ohio.edu.