Creating a new syllabus wouldn’t typically be everyone’s idea of a perfect sendoff for your final semester in college.

What began as an offhanded collection of fun activities became a semester-long challenge for Sarah Leach, Katie Lockyear and friends to end their time at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with intention and appreciation.

For Lockyear and Leach, graduating seniors and creators of “The Final Syllabus” challenge, the spring semester became less about final grades, and more about making memories.

“We both went into this semester thinking, ‘let’s work hard to make memories,’” said Leach, a marketing major. “We don’t want to leave college wishing we’d done this or tried that.”

A casual conversation between the roommates turned into a semester-long odyssey (and friendly competition) to make the most out of their final semesters. The pair developed a point-based challenge system and an Instagram leaderboard with weekly updates on who was in the lead.

The Final Syllabus quickly spun into a multi-participant game among their friends.

“We wanted to figure out a way to collect memories and capture them,” Lockyear, who majored in advertising and communications, said. “Making a game out of it felt like a way to keep people engaged the entire semester.”

The challenges started as solo adventures, but transitioned to being more group-focused.

“Everyone seems to really enjoy the time that it’s creating for them to spend with each other,” Leach said.

From trying exotic foods and buying coffee for a stranger to revisiting freshman dorms, each new challenge has brought laughs, experiences and insights that have brought participants closer to each other and their campus community.

“For me, it’s all about getting yourself outside your comfort zone, which you don’t have to go far to do,” Lockyear said. “Throughout college, Nebraska has helped me push my boundaries and find community — this helps me continue that at the end of college.”

And, as the challenges evolved, so too did their appreciation for Nebraska.

“I came from Oregon not knowing anyone. Looking back over these four years, I’m just so confident in the decision I made,” Leach said. “At the end of the day, what these challenges have shown me is how much of a home this university has become.”