Dear Northeastern freshmen,

Stop making me feel so old.

You walk around in your “Class of 2014” t-shirts and you make me realize, “I didn’t even go to high school with you.” You were in eighth grade, more concerned with dances and hanging at the mall until your mom could pick you up than you were with where you would be attending college. I was throwing a cap in the air looking ahead to Boston.

Your taste in music, style, even vocabulary is probably drastically different than my own. When I was listening to Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok,” I was in a tiny dorm room in Smith Hall. You were probably on a bus to your soccer game across town.

When I was devouring the HBO show “Girls” as if it was the story of my own life, you were taking AP Biology.

They say a four-year age difference isn’t that much in the long run. “They” might be right, but for now, your mere four years of age behind me makes me feel like I should be teaching you in those classrooms rather than sharing them with you.

That is the burden a five-year school puts on us. We chose to extend our college experience, with the sacrifice of feeling like a dinosaur.

I walk around campus expecting to see all the familiar faces I came to know over my four years here, but instead I see all your fresh expressions. It’s probably safe to assume that I am older than everyone I pass on Huntington Avenue or see in the dining hall.

But you are all so cute in the way you stand in line for waffles, explore Marino, travel in packs at night and begin to find your niche. I have a few words of advice as you begin this journey.

I found this quote my second week into freshmen year. I have returned to it time and time again.

“Have an open mind. When you get to college you’ll meet people from all different walks of life, and they will enrich your life more than you could ever know if you just let them in. Try everything once, twice if you like it. No regrets, and everything happens for a reason.”

If you find wisdom in this, let it guide you as it did me. If you don’t, then I hope you do find something to guide you.

College is full of twists and turns, both good and bad. You’ll lose yourself, find yourself again, find friends you know will be around the rest of your life and you will find friends you will play beer pong with once and probably forget the next day. It’s all about the experience.

Take my word for it; I remember when “Titanic” came out in theaters.

– Maureen Quinlan is a senior journalism major.

Photo courtesy Creative Commons.