It’s been a long time since you first stepped foot on UConn soil as a student in August of 2008. Four years, in fact. And a lot has changed here at UConn as you’ve earned your degree.

So much, in fact, that you might not remember every little thing from your college experience. And, honestly, if you did college right, you’ve had so many great memories over your 112 weeks here that there’s no reason for you to remember all of them. If you’d like your memory jogged, though, remember…
The concerts. Whether you’re a rocker or a rap fan, SUBOG has brought a wide array of great artists for you to enjoy here, not to mention the eclectic selections that Jorgensen has brought to Storrs. Lupe Fiasco, Ben Folds and 50 Cent were here in your freshman year, Third Eye Blind, Girl Talk and Kid Cudi in 09-10, Ludacris, O.A.R and B.o.B. last year and Billy Joel and Wiz Khalifa this year? That’s a lineup to remember. And Jorgensen was just as impressive, bringing in Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Pink Martini, the Boston Pops and Rufus Wainright, just to name a few. Whether you hit up one show or all of them, they’re stories you’ll tell your kids some day. Actually, according to the Vivian Girls’ Twitter account, at the WHUS Halloween concert of 2009 featuring themselves and Real Estate, one newborn Husky may have actually been MADE there.

The comedy. Daniel Tosh was here before he rose to fame with “Tosh.0.” Stephen Wright sang of Helen Keller and the “big fat friend.” John Oliver took a break from the Daily Show to give us a visit. Michael Ian Black gave great tips on annoying everyone you’ve ever met. Gabriel Iglesias and Bo Burnham brought down the house in Jorgensen completely different, hilarious ways. And that’s not even counting the wide array of lesser-known, but no less funny, comics brought into the Student Union Theater bi-weekly. You may not remember them all, perhaps on purpose in some cases, but there was no shortage of laughs here in Storrs.

The lectures. Tedy Bruschi, the three-time Super Bowl champion former Patriots linebacker, told of his experiences overcoming a stroke in 2005. Ray Allen gave stories of his time in Storrs in the 90s before he reached basketball superstardom. Sue Johanson of “Sex Talk” presented two hours of informative, hilarious sexual advice. Maya Angelou told us why the caged bird sings. The Female Orgasm has given us important sexual advice yearly since 2009. Dozens, if not hundreds, of other lectures educated students in nearly every conceivable topic over these four years. If nothing else, UConn really did foster an atmosphere of learning.

The changes. Store 24 became Tedeschi, and it’s now going out of business. Storrs Center went from a laughable pipe dream to a concrete (literally and metaphorically) reality. We lost the beautiful, expansive quad behind the Union, only to gain the majestic new Classroom Building. Spring Weekend was transformed into a Spring Lockdown. UConn itself made leaps and bounds in the past four years, going through two Presidents (three if we’re counting interim president Austin) and rising to become a top-20 national public university. Students grew up from wide-eyed, impressionable freshmen to learned, experienced seniors, about to get the caps and gowns they only dreamed of four years ago. Finals period went from an overwhelming, stressful week to… an overwhelming, stressful week. Okay, so not everything changed, but UConn will never be the same, partly because of its wonderful seniors about to enter the world.