Last year, somewhere around March, I went to the graduate school fair in our student center. I thought I'd get a head start on looking at law or graduate schools that I might want to attend after college. I wanted to be aware of my options when it was time to begin the application process. I went from table to table, chatting with representatives and writing down my name and address on mailing lists. After about an hour I left, armed with brightly colored brochures, all of which I shoved into a drawer in my desk and proceeded to forget about for six months. Then last month I began receiving a brochure or two in the mail, and then three, and four, until gradually every time I went to my mailbox the thing was stuffed with reminders that I am 20 years old and in my junior year of college and it is time to start thinking about the next step. How could this be possible• Two seconds ago I was a scared freshman, not sure of my friends or major or career path. I constantly talk to my little sister about her college experience, listen as she tells me about the friends she's met, the classes she plans to take, which major she is going to choose, and I think: I remember doing that, meeting new people, feeling confused about the direction of my life. But suddenly, I'm a junior with established friends and a double major in history and English with a certificate in journalism. I'm looking to attend law school after graduation. Everywhere I go, advertisements for LSAT review courses jump off the wall at me, reminding me that "when I grow up" is right now. Didn't I just take the SAT• I've always looked forward to the future, wanting to hit the next milestone: my driver's license, my ticket to an R-rated movie, my voting rights, my exodus to college. How many times have I said "I can't wait" or "The day can't come soon enough"• Thinking back, I wonder why I was in such a hurry to get older. I'm not the same way anymore. I have a milestone in April, my 21st birthday, but I'm hoping that the months before it last a long time. As much as I'd like to drink legally, I realize that my birthday is close to the end of my junior year -- close to the point where the countdown to graduation is less than 365 days and I'm in no rush to get there. I want to be young for as long as I can. I want to still be able to say "when I grow up ..." How much longer can I pass for a kid• The world of adulthood is looming, coming closer in form of career fairs and business casual meetings. I'm preparing for the future -- reading over those brochures, signing up for LSAT review classes -- but I can wait for it to get here. When it comes, I'll be excited, and ready. But I'm going to make the most of my time along the way.

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