Source. Courtesy of the Life at UCR Instagram!

As I was packing for my trip to Washington, D.C., I stumbled upon my acceptance letter to UC Riverside. The letter I had received four years ago was still perfectly intact inside an envelope, with statistics and photographs of a school I hadn’t known much about. Although I graduated college in four years, I technically only spent three of those years studying at UCR. Between studying abroad and taking part in the UCDC internship program, I took advantage of all UC Riverside had to offer in making my undergraduate experience memorable.

While I don’t for a moment regret all the programs I took part in, I do recognize that occasionally separating myself from UCR put a strain on my friendships and altered my connection to the Riverside community. Spending my final quarter as an undergrad across the country has been bittersweet. While my time in D.C. has set me apart from so many soon-to-be graduates, it also meant missing out on major milestones, such as attending the grad fair, struggling through one last finals week and enjoying the last few weeks with my college friends.

As I began to pack up my workspace and apartment here in Washington, D.C., I got to thinking about all the things I would be doing if I was back at UC Riverside. Maybe it’s because my hometown is hundreds of miles from campus, meaning I most likely won’t be returning, but my senioritis has worn off and all I feel like doing is reliving my favorite moments at the school that gave me more than I ever could have imagined. If you’re a graduating senior or just feeling really nostalgic, check a couple things off this list – and be a proud Highlander.

1. Hike the C.

If you haven’t hiked the C, do it! If you have, do it again! Enjoy the views of our campus, plus an excuse to get some exercise and a summer tan all at the same time. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sprawled out exhausted on the yellow concrete, but each time is just as fun as the last.

2. Eat everywhere!

Source. The Barn is always a campus favorite.

If you lived in the dorms, go enjoy the all-you-care-to-eat dining hall one last time! Grab some food in the HUB, or whatever campus restaurant you found yourself at most often. The only way to make this more fun is to reunite with your freshman lunch group (we all had one) and enjoy lunch together one last time.

3. Visit your former housing.

Source. East Lothian, one of the wings of UCR’s Lothian residence hall.

Try visiting the dorms – if not for the food, then just to look around. Aberdeen Inverness was the place I made all my friends freshman year, pulled countless pranks and spent all my dining dollars. Living with two other girls in one tiny room wasn’t ideal, but years later we still talk about all the late nights in those long hallways.

4. Attend a campus study event.

Source. Courtesy of the kind, generous souls at the UCR libraries.

Scotty’s Late Night Lounge, study breaks at the libraries, free rock climbing — UCR is always offering its students ways to de-stress and let out our inner child. Make the most out of the free fun offered, because once we’re in the real world, everything has a cover charge.

5. Watch a movie.

Source. Students catch one of the student films featured in the MCS Film Festival.

This might have only made the list because I’m living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, but take advantage of the University Theater! Six dollars for a newly released film can’t be beat.

6. Visit Downtown Riverside.

Source. Scotty is a huge fan of Lift Coffee Roasters!

From farmer’s markets and art festivals to nightclubs and boutiques, I don’t know why I ever complained about having nothing to do on a weekend. Living in D.C. taught me to not expect fun to come to my doorstep, which is the exact mindset I needed while studying at UCR.

7. Photograph everything.

Don’t leave UCR without a photo with Scotty – and now it’s even easier, because you can always find him sitting near the Bell Tower. Snap a few shots with the UCR letters, our Bell Tower and the Botanical Garden.

8. Meet up one last time.

The thing I’m missing the most is spending my last few days with my friends. With me moving back north, I’m sure I won’t be seeing them anytime soon, which makes not being there even harder. Catch up with freshman year hallmates, former roommates and all the people from the orgs you participated in.

9. Enjoy the craziness.

Finals week in D.C. is nothing more than writing a paper and packing up my apartment. Only in Riverside is it acceptable to bring an air mattress to a public space and camp out in a study room. Enjoy the last time you and all your roommates will stay up until morning, working on papers and motivating each other to resist that power nap.

I’ll be back in California this week, then walking across the stage the week after. I pulled up at Aberdeen Inverness my freshman year knowing no one, but I’m leaving with countless friends and mentors that each affected my time at UCR in their own way. I’ll miss my roommates who put up with my filthy mess of a room, advisers who encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and friends who made a place hundreds of miles away feel like home.

-Rubi