Faithful followers of the Tribune Viewpoints section will remember last week when my colleague Brian Harper explored how he will leave his legacy at Marquette. Readers know that Harper, a senior graduating in May, decided he would start a fad.

Preferably one that is awkward, unconventional and generally not categorized as “cool.” I think this is an awesome idea.

And I completely intend to do my part to keep his fad alive, even after his departure.

But as a junior, I have only one response to his quest: Thank God I have another year to figure out my legacy and become as cool as Harper.

I’m probably speaking for a fair amount of juniors when I say that I still, after three years of diverse coursework, have no idea what I want to do with my life.

I’m only sure about two things: I want to write and I don’t want to end up channel surfing on the couch at my parent’s house for months on end.

The pressure’s on to start figuring these things out.

Shoot. I’m so unprepared.

I’m always a little jealous of those who are on the unofficial pre-med or pre-law track, despite the fact that they have a boat load of pressures with tests and med school applications coming up. But at least they have some direction.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m really excited to move to a new place, meet new people and only deal with the can’t-make-up-its-mind Milwaukee weather patterns when I come to visit.

But it’s what I’m going to do when I get there that has me nervous.

It’s daunting to watch as your senior friends receive letters in their mailbox from graduate schools and feedback from job interviews, thinking, “I can’t believe that will be me in one short year.”

You can read all the material on finding a job and talk to all the career counselors in the world, but it doesn’t change or make it easier that we have to start our lives next year … without our wise senior friends here.

That is perhaps one of the hardest aspects of watching seniors leave Marquette. As a junior, you have several friends who’ll be going on to bigger and better things after graduation. Some of you are insanely jealous of the friend spending the summer in London, or the friend with the fabulous internship. Yet, regardless of their summer plans, all of them will be starting real life in the fall.

In light of the realization that we don’t have much time left, my friend and I are beginning to compile our “last summer of freedom” to-do list, complete with a trip to Wisconsin Dells and one of those bike bar rentals down in the Third Ward. This is really the last opportunity we have to live it up before all our hard-earned cash goes to paying for real life.

And I don’t plan on letting my hyper-involvement end when summer does. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I haven’t taken advantage of nearly as many Marquette opportunities as I would have liked. The list includes, but is not limited to: going to a Late Night, going on a M.A.P. trip and going to my professor’s office hours even when I’m not in dire need of help on the homework.

So, while our time at Marquette is dwindling down and real life is slowly making its way toward us – despite the fact that we don’t know how to welcome it – there are some things we can control.

Don’t worry Brian; I’m already shopping at American Apparel for my fanny pack.