Last night I returned to my dorm from the Stevenson Library in the wee hours of the morning, immediately crashed into bed and slept, as many of us do, for about four hours on an absurdly thin, prison-style mattress, cushioned only by a 3-year-old Target brand egg crate pad and the weight of sheer exhaustion. Nevertheless, right before I drifted off I made sure to remind myself how incredibly comfortable I actually was.

This is because about a year and a half ago, I spent a similar night lying in a worn sleeping bag in the middle of a grass median in the streets of Washington, D.C., shivering violently against subzero winds, surrounded by snow, sirens and the growling stomachs of 10 practical strangers.
I have never been so miserable in my entire life. It was the best spring break I've ever had.
No, I didn't spend that sacred week in March getting wasted on a beach in Cancun, and I've managed to make it through three years at Vandy without participating in a wet T-shirt contest. Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to either of those things; I'm just saving the experience for when I can afford the good tequila. But every once in a while, an experience comes a long that permanently changes your complete outlook on life, and for me that experience was Alternative Spring Break.

I'm moving into uncharted waters of corniness here, so get ready to judge. Every August I develop a mantra of sorts to get me through the school year and accomplish what I think needs to get done. Freshman year was "Stay positive," sophomore year was "Try not to throw up," junior year was "Learn something" and senior year has quickly become the year of "No regrets."
I realize not all of our readers are so close to the end of their Vanderbilt careers. In fact, I'm pretty sure the majority of our seniors stopped reading the Hustler back in early September, but that doesn't mean the rest of you cannot benefit from my wisdom.
There are two things no one on the campus ever truly understands until the cap and gown are only a couple of short semesters away: First, all reading is optional, and second, four years is NOTHING. Four years to take advantage of every opportunity this university is willing to offer you is not anywhere close to enough, so you better get started now.
Every time you encounter a program or an event in which you will never have another chance to participate for the rest of your life, do it. Every time someone proposes an idea that scares the living daylights out of you, do it. And if you think there's even the slightest possibility you might some day feel an inkling of regret that you turned such an opportunity down, do it.

This is why I woke up at 7 a.m. last Saturday to watch Kenny Chesney brutally dis the Vols on national television. It's why I spent four months last semester fighting through life in a foreign country and 48 hours of my sophomore year fighting the bitter, cold reality of homelessness in America.

ASB participant applications are due in the Community Partnership House at 5 p.m. on Oct. 17. Do it.

Carolyn Pippen is a senior in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at carolyn.m.pippen@vanderbilt.edu.