The first time I felt old was in fourth grade. Why, exactly? Well, it was the first time I had to wear a sweater vest to school. I grew up wearing a uniform: navy pants, belt, solid-colored dress shoes, white collared shirt, and, starting in fourth grade, a sweater vest. From fourth grade and up, everyone wore sweater vests. It was a big deal back then—the first time I thought I was old.
So, once I finally got to high school I knew I was old. Who could even imagine a time when we weren’t allowed to talk in the hallway? Heck, in a couple classes I didn’t even have to raise my hand to go to the bathroom, I could just get up and leave!
Fast forward four more years, and I’m going to my first class at Butler. Blink once, and here I am—almost halfway done with college. Looking back, high school seems a little silly and to be honest, completely unattainable. School for 7 hours a day, five days a week? This semester at Butler, I only have to go to three classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and I feel like I should be awarded a Nobel Prize. Of course, the less time you spend in class, the more responsibilities you have, like working, going to meetings, and generally “adulting”—namely, me trying not to break things and figuring out how to do laundry (apparently the pods need to go directly in with the clothes).
The funny thing about being halfway done with college is that it’s kind of hit me now, over ten years since my initial thought—I’m not old. Not yet, at least. (I’m 19.) I’m still young with opportunities galore. There’s a kind of indescribable feeling that comes with college, like the whole world is both in front of me and in the palm of my hand.
Really, college is this incredible microcosm of opportunities. Opportunities are everywhere: study abroad, research, internships, conferences, clubs—even the occasional nap! Often, I find myself overcommitted, but if not now, then when?
These opportunities are both terrifying and incredible. Once I’m out of college, I know I won’t be able to do many of the things I can do now. To avoid youth being wasted, I’m excited to keep throwing myself into things these last two years and see where life takes me while I’m young.
Matt Del Busto is a habitually overcommitted sophomore at Butler University studying English Creative Writing and Spanish. He’s also involved in the university Catholic community, the Butler newspaper The Collegian, and the Diversity Center. Matt grew up in Carmel and enjoys most activities involving writing and eating.
