Welcome to Clemson!

My name is Brett Porter, and I serve as the sports editor of The Tiger. This year, I will begin my senior year at Clemson University. Take it from me, it goes by too fast. Just the other day, I entered Clemson as a freshman and saw little difference between a senior citizen and a senior in college.

But now here I am, staring graduation in the face.

I am sure you are now tired of hearing the sage advice of how you can make the most of your college experience — get involved, go outside of your comfort zone, meet new people, try new things, get good grades, etc. Yes, this is all great advice and things you should pursue.

But my biggest piece of advice is a little different. It’s a phrase as old as time: the people make the place, but it’s a cliche for a reason. So the one thing this washed-up senior will tell you is to find the people you enjoy wasting time with.

Now I know you are thinking: “Did he just say waste time? Aren’t we supposed to be productive students and everything?” Well, yes, that’s what all that other sage advice is for. But as I look back at my college experience, the most memorable times were with friends watching TV, going to the lake, getting food or walking around campus.

On the outside, these activities were what some would define as a waste of time, but as I look back, these ordinary experiences formed incredible memories and made this place home instead of just a university.

As Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

So, stop to look around. You don’t want to miss the next four years.

Brett Porter is a senior English major from Massachusetts. Brett can be reached at [email protected].