I was at a bar a while back with a couple of friends, one of whom had spent several more than the average number of years in college.

We were talking about the upcoming school year — my fifth and his seventh — and we were also talking about some friends who had recently graduated.

“There’s only one problem with college,” he said with an almost sad look on his face. “People graduate.”

I almost started laughing, but I realized he wasn’t joking. He went on to explain that after seven years at Iowa State, all the friends he started school with had left campus and moved on with their lives.

But unfortunately for my friend, his own academic life was moving a little slower than most people’s. I wanted to point this out to him, and tell him this was probably the root of his problems. But I’m sure he knew. After seven years, he was still trying to come to terms with something many of us eventually struggle with in college.

I guess it all boils down to question of why we are here at Iowa State. The answer really seems to be quite simple: We are here to get an education so we can become productive members of society.

But something curious happens along the way.

Outside of the classroom, when the textbooks are put away and the homework is done, we begin to interact. We make acquaintances. Then we become friends. As friends, we understand each other, and share the common goal of graduation. We empathize with each other’s daily struggles as students. We share countless experiences both good and bad, and we form some very strong bonds.

But in the end, most of us graduate and slowly drift apart as we each find our own lives in the world.

It’s the way the world works. As we each attempt to fulfill our own personal goals in life, we inevitably go in opposite directions, following our careers or continuing our education.

But 20 years from now when I think back on my college days, I seriously doubt I’ll remember much about the classes I slept through. I’ll be thinking about my friends, and the time we spent together. I’ll remember spending countless Thursday nights at Cafe Beaudelaire. I’ll remember staying up until five in the morning playing guitars and singing songs. I’ll remember making daily trips to Stomping Grounds, and a whole lot more that I don’t have room to talk about here.

So if this is what’s important to me now, why will I turn my back on it all when I graduate?

It’s not that I have a big problem with finding my niche in society. Like most people, I have career goals that I want to accomplish, and most of those goals involve leaving ISU far behind. These goals are just as important to me as my current friendships are.

But where is it written that once you graduate, the only thing of importance that you take from college is your career goal?

As more and more of my friends graduate, I’m beginning to see it happen. Phone calls are less frequent. Letters never quite seem to get written. And we all slowly, slowly drift away having crossed paths for a few great years, but now are too involved with who we are and what we do.

It’s all inevitable, I suppose. But it’s still a little sad.

My friend who had apparently become a professional college student was clinging too hard to one aspect of college while neglecting the academic side, which for obvious reasons is a complete mistake. But in a way, he made a good point.

So maybe we ought to ask ourselves that question once again: Why are we here at Iowa State? The answer isn’t as simple as it first appears. It is true that we are here to get an education. But that is not the only reason by far.

Hopefully we’ll remember this on graduation day and in the years to come.

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Troy McCullough is a senior in journalism mass communication from Pleasantville. He is editor in chief of the Daily.