Get up at 8 a.m. Go to classes from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Work out until 5 p.m. Grab dinner and do homework from 6 – 9 p.m. Open the computer and work until 12 a.m. Wake up at 8 a.m. and start over.
Many students juggle classes and homework, athletics and exercise and work and money, but is the bulging schedule worth the stress?
At times, the day seems too busy to breathe, but trimming the edges of daily obligations gets tricky. Classes are necessary to graduate, exercise is essential to staying healthy and relieving stress and work provides money to pay for gas and food.
At 21 years old, the stereotype of college life in all its glory with beer, pizza and parties seems a mirage in the distance. The college years are meant to be fun, but moreover, they are a transition from youth to adulthood.
There is an overlying theme for the college student to expect parental handouts and light workloads, but the truth is it’s time to let go of mom and dad’s hand.
On shaky legs, college students can learn about how they work best. They can afford to mess up and fall down. They can take advantage of these four years to make mistakes before they graduate.
It’s not always easy to see things in that light. Questions start to stir in the mind about why Baker costs so much, about why the paycheck is so small, about why the professors schedule tests in the same week.
Gravity pulls on heavy backpacks, as Tuesdays show no sight of the weekend. Lead scratches across lined paper late Wednesday night in Collins Library. Words blur into gray pages Thursday as thoughts of Friday night freedom resound.
Then the weekend arrives. It’s unholy to do anything responsible on a Friday night. Eat some junk food and drink some beers. Ignore reality.
Alarm clocks are forbidden on Saturday mornings, creating a late start. Shower around noon and make a list of all the things to do. Watch the game.
Sundays promise dress pants and pews. Change clothes and stare at the list.
By this time, it’s past noon, leaving mere hours to complete a day’s worth of work, but then something clicks. The list doesn’t seem that long and soon everything is checked off.
Most of the stress could be avoided by doing homework and chores daily, but that rarely happens. That would make a student too much of an adult. All college students should procrastinate and slam out mediocre work at the last minute.
These habits won’t hold up after graduation. Low performance will be noticed and the landlord won’t give you an extension on your rent.
It’s time to throw the old thoughts of college out the window and accept the fact that these years are shaping students for their immediate future.
Take the pride and time that is necessary to prepare for the future. Four years doesn’t last long, and soon the opportunity to learn and study will be a blurred silhouette in the rearview mirror.
3 comments