As another semester begins at Ashland University, students settle into their classes, routines, activities and snow clothes. That’s right. With winter finally in full swing and Ashland sitting right in Cleveland’s snow belt, students get to experience the joys of cold temperatures, sparkling snow and a canceled class every now and then. But with the joys come the inconveniences: cars won’t start, sidewalks are slippery and walking to class becomes longer and more inconvenient than one would have thought possible on a 10-minute campus.

It’s easy to complain during these times. Your bed is warm, your roommate is still sleeping and the class that is asking for your attention isn’t your favorite. On top of this, the wind almost knocks you over, you slip and fall down the stairs, and you left your warmest winter coat at home. But let’s remember that this is the spring semester of 2012, the second semester, the last semester of this academic year. It’s the end of another chapter in our college education.

Some students are graduating in May; some are simply heading home, while others leave to follow a different path. Classes, friends, professors, rooms, buildings; no matter what the circumstances, there will never be another semester exactly like this semester. So while complaining may come easy and may even be warranted at times, remember that no matter what year you are, no matter where you are in your education, this is the end of another chapter. And whether it’s been the best or worst semester of your life, an experience like this will never happen in quite the same way again.