Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (1:20 p.m.) Sadness Journal | Page 26

College and the Roller Coaster of Emotions
Adrianna Jurek
“College will be the best four years of your life,” a phrase every graduating senior in high school
heard at least once. The talk of being more independent, choosing classes more freely, picking times to
attend those classes, and all the social opportunities make for an immense amount of excitement leading
up to the first day of class. The summer is filled with orientations, scheduling, being with friends, and
overall happiness to finally have the freedom everyone talks about. Summer’s over in a flash, and with
that, the best four years of your life have begun. Fast forward a month and the excitement has faded, and
what is left is a roller coaster of emotions that no one was warned about. There are three exams next
week, a paper due Monday, a club meeting Tuesday, and an argument with a significant other that week-
end, plus work at least three days a week. There’s never enough time in a day to accomplish everything,
let alone enjoy college life (at least without falling more hopelessly behind.) And so, the best four years of
your life have now been converted into four years of riding an emotional roller coaster that seems to en-
counter a new obstacle every time one passes. From school work, to friends, to actual work and paying
for college, students attending university must deal with a lot, which means emotions run high.
The one feeling all college students are familiar with is being sad. The first experience of sadness
starts before college even begins. The friends that have been together for at least four years, some more,
are being separated by miles and different schools, with promises to visit as much as possible, which
proves to be very difficult. The people who used to see each other every day now see each other once a
month, sometimes less. That is a huge cause of sadness for college students, especially the ones who’s
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