This semester I’ve written about the fun things in life.  I’ve written about celebrities, Taylor Swift, being young, irrational fears of fictional characters and living in the 90s. But for my last column of the fall 2012 semester, I want to get sentimental and write about what it means to be a Northeastern student.

Call it what you like, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of being a Husky. I came to Boston as a scared and shy out-of-state freshman. I’m sure it’s a feeling many people had walking into their dorms in Speare, White, Stetson, Smith or one of the other freshman buildings. If not, then you are lucky.

I never expected what I’ve gotten the past three years. I never really knew what to expect I guess. Well, what I got was a revolving door.

Life for the average Northeastern student is constantly changing or spinning like a revolving door. Sometimes I’m inside the building and sometimes I’m outside enjoying the opportunities at my fingertips.

Days spent inside the classroom taught me how to multitask and handle the workload of four vastly different subjects, or maybe enduring the difficulty and monotony of four classes of the same subject.

Days on co-op taught me to never take for granted a job or the life of a student. Both have their evils and their virtues. But mostly it taught me the grass is always greener.

Days when I’m pondering which opportunity to take next taught me that any situation spent pondering opportunities can’t really be that bad. In a world where we can work for top corporations, travel to foreign countries for one week, two months, four months, six months or a year, and thrive in one of the most well-educated cities around, it is often unnecessary to find life’s silver linings. Life as a Northeastern Husky is full of the good things so many envy.

I’m not diminishing the fact that there are certain downsides, such as moving every two to four months, paying a truckload of money in tuition and always adjusting to the change. But as one of my wisest friends points out to me on a regular basis, this is the time in our lives when adventure and instability are acceptable. We have the rest of our lives to stay in one place, work the same job and get set in routine for years.

Now is the time to embrace the opportunity awaiting us.

I’ve learned from experience that taking the risk is worth it. I took a risk going to Northeastern, thousands of miles away from my family and friends, only to find great new friends and a little bit of myself. I took a risk in becoming an editor for The News, but I have learned so much about a team, and gained some great friends. I am planning to take a risk by studying abroad in Ireland next semester. And while I’m pretty frightened, I know (and hope) that it will be worth the insane amount of courage it is going to take to get on that plane come Jan. 27.

Nothing exciting ever takes place inside my comfort zone. Sure, it’s comforting, but that’s what it’s made for. All the magic happens beyond the things I know.

For all the panic attacks and stress zits I get during finals and midterms and on an average Tuesday at Northeastern, I know it is going to be worth it.

That revolving door can make me dizzy at times, but if I learn the rhythm of the door, I will appreciate every person, job, class, project and experience that slips through. It’s not about slowing time down, though I do wish I could do that sometimes. It’s about enjoying the moment, living life to its fullest and being proud to be a Husky.

Now if my Pinterest cliché advice has been too much for you, I’m done. Good luck on your finals. Have a wonderful holiday break eating and drinking too much. (Because we all know our families are out to get us fat when we come home.)

It has been a pleasure writing for Inside this semester. It was a risk that really paid off.

– Maureen Quinlan can be reached at [email protected]