The scariest part about graduation is not the dreaded prospect of life after Binghamton, but rather the disappointing acknowledgement of what we failed to do during our time here. No one with reasonable expectations can claim to have accomplished all they set out to do during the disproportionally small fraction of life that college consists of.
But this is no reason not to try. Fortunately, there is a very simple and easy way to turn all these dreams into goals and these goals into plans. It is called a bucket list.
The purpose of having a bucket list is the same, regardless of whether you are a first semester transfer student or a graduating senior with 15 weeks to live. It serves as a tangible reminder of achievements to be realized, a codified conglomeration of fears to be overcome, mountains to be climbed and finish lines to be triumphantly crossed.
There is no greater feeling than calling your shot, then hitting it. Between Joe Namath guaranteeing victory in Super Bowl III and Muhammad Ali shouting “I am the greatest!” before his world heavyweight title in 1964, history is littered with those who named greatness, then claimed it.
It is precisely this act that makes a bucket list so special. By writing down, printing out and hanging these goals where they can be read each and every day, they become the claim to your own personal greatness.
This all presupposes that the crazy idiosyncrasies of your bucket list are, in fact, great. In truth, it does not matter what is actually on the list, so long as it is nigh impossible to cross everything off during the desired time frame. Anything less effectually turns it into a to-do list where the ambition of setting goals is replaced by the monotony of doing chores. So aim high, or don’t bother shooting.
After all, the satisfaction gained from stamping down that check mark is reflective of what an accomplishment means to you. Something so trivial to one person may be truly extraordinary in the eyes of another. Can a comparison really be made between the kid with asthma running a 5K and the shy guy asking the pretty girl to dance? That is a matter of opinion, but what is not up to interpretation is that the purpose of a bucket list is personal gratification and there can be only one judge of that.
But the best part of carrying out what is on your list is that you do not have to do it alone. That is what roommates, suite-mates, floor-mates and housemates are for. Odds are, something on your list overlaps with that of a similarly interested friend, and if you are serious about finishing this thing, motivation, encouragement and even coercion should be utilized fully. We all have that fantastic story of when our best friend made us try something we secretly always wanted to do, but just needed an extra push to do it. Perhaps it is time to return the favor.
There is even medical evidence to support the benefits of creating a bucket list. In the wise words of the one of the world’s finest doctors, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way!”