Written By Sara Bursać
If I told my first-year self that I’d be here in my fourth year, I wouldn’t have believed it. Back then, I followed a strict timeline, all the guidelines, and constantly compared myself to everyone else’s pace.
I transferred from a small college to a large university in my third year, a campus that felt overwhelming, where it seemed like everyone already had their place. I felt behind in every way: credits, friend groups, clubs, experiences, and paths that already seemed planned out. I felt like I was starting from scratch, trying to catch up, like I had missed my window to get the “full university experience” everyone around me had.
I convinced myself I was too late to join anything meaningful. I thought all I could do was graduate as fast as possible and start living afterward.
Now, in my fourth year, I’m in two clubs and preparing to go on exchange to Milan in Spring 2027. A year ago, this would have seemed impossible, too late, even scary. What changed wasn’t just my timeline; it was my mindset.
So, I started stepping outside my comfort zone. I showed up in spaces that felt uncomfortable, but I knew I needed to be there. I realized that figuring out what is for you is just as important as figuring out what isn’t. Rejection isn’t failure; it is redirection.
Slowly, I noticed the environments that felt right, the ones I wanted to be part of in ways that excited me. This wasn’t about finally feeling “on track.” It was about stopping the comparison to a “standard” timeline that was never mine to begin with.
There is this unspoken pressure to do everything at the “right time”: join clubs early, build your network early, go on exchange in your second year, graduate in four years, and land a job immediately after. But the truth is, there is no universal timeline.
I’ve always wanted to live alone abroad. I don’t know when that will happen, but studying abroad is a close substitute, so I took it even for just five months. There is still so much I want to do, and I know I won’t get to everything. But I would rather try and fail than not try at all.
Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t hurt to try, but it does hurt to wonder, what if?
So if there is something you’ve been thinking about or wanting, do it. Even if it feels late. Even if you feel unsure. Why not try?