Dear Clare,

— Sad Senior

Dear Sad Senior,

(Love the alliteration, of course, but could've been a little more creative — Sorrowful Senior, Sobbing yet Studly Senior, for example). This is an odd piece to write because I am in completely the same situation as you — sorry, that's probably not what you want to hear. But honestly, looking at this question caused me to reflect and think about my own plight and I began to freak out, just like you!

At my high school graduation, only two out of 198 people cried. I was one of them. While coming out in sobs from the ceremony I ran up to a little young freshman, grabbed him by the shoulders and said, "LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF YOUR TIME HERE!" I ended up taking my own advice when I came to school here. I am such a fan of this glorious institution and my days here, I literally skip down Bascom Hill and slip into large tour groups to tout the merits of this fantastic university that we are all lucky to be a part of. It's unbelievably depressing to think that when I come back here next year, it won't be as a student. I won't even be able to get into the cages of Memorial Library!

I was going to consult some psychic experts or counselors who may deal with grief or withdrawal issues, but because we haven't actually left yet, I decided to get some feedback from some fabulous people who were in our Badger shoes just a few years ago: recent graduates. So many times you hear of people saying that college will be the best four (or five) years of your life, or to stay in college as long as you can. Alumnus will often lament about how weird it is coming back to their alma mater or how difficult and boring the real world is. When all of a sudden you are a senior, you begin to believe those words and truly take them to heart. Without offering answers to hugely scary questions like, "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY LIFE OH MY GOD I AM GOING TO BE IN THE REAL WORLD IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR?" my distinguished informants were able to offer some reassuring thoughts about life after University of Wisconsin. Here are some of the highlights:

Be optimistic about the newfound freedom to completely decide what you want to do with your life. Up until now, it's been decided for you (i.e. you go to high school, graduate, go on to college, etc.). You'll freak out less.

Look forward to the real world, where you will actually have money in your pocket.

Live it up with your friends. You won't have the opportunity to party like that in the real world.

Don't freak out about what you are going to do after college. It all comes together in the end. Nothing is a done deal. Life is trial and error, and you will find something that you are passionate about and enjoy.

Don't sleep too much, the year goes by fast so make sure to hang out with your friends and enjoy the campus during every waking moment

Quit your job your senior year, there's plenty of time to work

Swim in the Library Mall fountain and climb on Abe. Find things to do (and people to do them with) that make you laugh.

Do something on campus you've always wanted to try. Regrets suck.

Tell your professors thank you. You never know when you'll need them again.

The most encouraging theme, I found, was that there really is no life after UW because your experiences here are going to be a part of your entire life. Last summer, I met a charming elderly widow who met her husband when they were both students at UW. She said that they came back to Wisconsin for at least one football game every year, and that the first song played at their wedding and the last song at her husband's funeral was "Varsity." OK, that wasn't meant to be super-depressing; it was meant to be almost uplifting and inspiring.

This shows that what college is for you now is perfect because it's the right time, but that it will reappear in your future in ways that are more conducive to your life, like getting a Wisconsin toilet seat when you buy your first house or naming your first son Buckingham when you are starting a family (I'm a senior and just found out that was Bucky's first name!).

I always say, "It's better to leave somewhere wanting to stay than wanting to go." I know I'm really deep, right? But in doing this, you will look upon your days here with positive feelings and a sentimental yearning, rather than a trap you couldn't wait to break free of and never want to return to.

I hope that some of these many quotes have helped you, my Sad Suffering Sentimental Sappy Senior (the alliteration becomes second nature with a little practice, my friends). If none of this has helped, I will leave you with one more piece of advice: realize now that you should be thankful that your college experience has been so positive and take what you've learned here to make a fabulous life for yourself. Also be sure to come back for lots of Badger games in the future with your little future-tykes: Buckingham, Barry and Bascom.

Good luck, my friend. I'll be seeing you at graduation.

Clare

Dear Clare,

— Cold Coastie

Dear Cold Coastie,

There are many different ways you can get to class in the winter. I'm guessing that you've seen those big vehicles known as buses that run all over the place, so that is one of the more obvious options. A more interesting way, however, is surely the dog-sled teams that UW established in 1998. These sleds run up and down State Street, University and Johnson every 20 minutes. At high traffic times, they're hard to hail down, so I would suggest taping some raw red meat to your winter coat or getting a cookie cake from Jamie's to wave around. My purple Saturn and I will also stop for cookie cakes and take you wherever you want to go — the more frosting, the better your chances.

These dog-sled teams will then bring you to the bottom of Bascom Hill where you can board the heated chairlifts. Construction of these should be starting after Halloween, so be on the lookout! A word of caution, though: sometimes the lifts take a long time because people fall off so they have to shut the whole thing down — watch out for that Robbie Gustafson kid because he's always falling off that thing.

If you aren't in a hurry and have some extra time, take a moment to sit next to the Abraham Lincoln statue at the top of the hill (that is decked out in Santa gear) and get your picture taken by the little elves that will give you candy canes and hot chocolate.

Please also consider snowshoes. They might be a little awkward to maneuver while indoors, but they're sure a lot cuter than Uggs. Ugh, when will that fad go away?

Good luck, my friend.

Clare

Have a question? Get it answered! Send a question about love, school or anything to Clare ([email protected]) and it could appear in a future column.