Here I stand at the end of my undergrad career, smiling that it is over and tearing up that is coming to an end.

I will miss my wonderful friends who I will keep up with over Facebook and Twitter, the professors who have guided me into the path I currently am on and The Flor-Ala.

Working in the office with this group of amazing and brilliant people is going to be something that I will not easily be able to adjust from. From hilarious conversations riddled with inside jokes to serious news reporting issues that we have encountered this year, calling them family is an understatement.

I like them more than my own family, really.

What would I have done differently if I was starting college all over? I would have joined The Flor-Ala sooner.

I spent two years of college robotically going to class then heading straight home or to work. I didn’t take the time to make friends, join clubs or imbed myself into that college culture.

It was a slightly depressing existence. Feeling like you paid enough money to a university to belong, yet experienced that strange disconnect every day walking to class, seeing faces you didn’t recognize.

Starting with the wrong major didn’t help. I had a passion for writing, yet was sitting through business classes, trying my best to understand the material. Once I changed majors, the rest came easy.

I started writing every week for The Flor-Ala. I came back every week not just to pad my resume but to get to know the interesting editors.

Now it feels weird to not see one of their faces at any given time.

I wouldn’t be where I am — where I am going — without getting to know them. A group of peers that are driven, creative and downright smart will only shape you into a person worthy of the adult world.

Don’t just mope around UNA for four years with no friends. Don’t go through your undergrad without joining some clubs or at least trying them out. A degree is only as valuable as what comes with it. Anyone can finish college, and employers know that.

Might as well throw some clubs on a resume and gain some BFFs while you are at it.