When I started college, I felt the need to set goals for myself.

I wanted to put effort into something like changing myself in some way or accomplishing something that would take lots of work, so I created my college bucket list. The name speaks for itself: a list of things I want to do before I graduate. Whether it’s school-related or not, the deadline is to complete it by graduation day.

I have a long and strange list of goals, but I’d like to share two of them. When I first came to NIU, my first class was in Cole Hall in fall 2012. I noticed a little glass room with fancy chairs and a glass table. I stared at the room for a second and decided this will be a part of my college bucket list: I want to hold a meeting or an indoor picnic in that room. This came to be the first of many goals I’ve added to my list. I have yet to check this objective off, but it will happen before I graduate.

Another objective was added when I was in community college, around the time I figured out I wanted to be a writer of some sort. The objective was to contribute to a story in the newspaper. I wasn’t sure how I was going to go about this, whether I was going to be the subject of it, help with the title or help with the story itself. I did get to check this off the list because look at me now: I’m a writer for the Northern Star. You really can get what you want, or better, if you set your mind to it.

I asked other students for some of their goals on their college bucket list.

Sophomore psychology major Joseph Heinz said he wanted to try the food of every restaurant in DeKalb. Another goal of his is to stay out one day from sundown to sunrise.

Whether the objectives on your list are big or small, the feeling of accomplishment is the greatest reward. Making a college bucket list can help get you motivated in class and have more fun for the rest of your college lives, so no matter what you have on your bucket list go out and accomplish it–you will not regret it, and it will make for a great story after you graduate.