I went through three and a half years of college with a preconceived notion of what second semester senior year was like. It involved underloading, significantly slacking in the few classes that were on your schedule, frolicking in the quad, and a minor drinking problem. We’d suddenly become unmotivated in the classroom and have an 18-week celebration of the fact that we were finishing college and starting new lives with jobs and salaries (we hoped) instead of exams and tuition. Based on the number of seniors I’d known who suddenly stopped going to class or contributing in group projects, it seemed logical.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past four months, it’s that this preconceived notion was incredibly wrong. It doesn’t work that way. No one wakes up one morning after three and half years of hard work and decides it would be a good day to let it all go to waste. If anything, for me, it was the opposite. I wanted to finish strong. I was even a little distraught over the fact that I couldn’t make Dean’s list with an underloaded schedule; I didn’t want to mess up my track record. I know a lot of seniors feel the same.
So then why do we do it – skip class and slack off – if we’re not lacking in motivation? It’s the fact that we’re motivated to do so much more than just schoolwork. For the past three years, grades have always been our number one priority. I’ve sacrificed hundreds of Thursday and Saturday nights out, afternoons in the pit, even an entire football season to make sure I maintained star student status. But I can’t sacrifice anymore. As these experiences become scarcer, they get more valuable. It’s simple economics.
So we’re taking advantage of them. We’re relaxing with friends out on the quad, eating one last Alpine Bagel, and taking advantage of the Blue Cup Special while we still have the chance. All of a sudden, every friends’ birthday parties and a cappella concerts become a priority because it’s the last time that we’ll be able to go and give our support and show our dedication to each other. (The fact that Wednesday Karaoke night could ever take on that kind of significance still baffles me). We’re trying to stuff as much “college experience” into a few short weeks and making sure we get the most out of eight semesters of tuition. We’re investing in friendships so they’ll be able to sustain the transition to the “real world” where they can no longer be sustained with weekly trips to YoPo.
So to all the seniors from years past who I’ve judged as lazy, inconsiderate slackers, I’d just like to apologize. I always assumed you weren’t considerate of my time, when in truth, I wasn’t considerate of yours. At the time, I was too bogged down in the short term goals and priorities, the tests, quizzes, and papers, to realize that college is so much more than class. It’s about finding your passions and determining your values, experimentation and discovery, and stepping outside of your comfort zone. It’s about learning how to inspire and challenge others. It’s about learning how to do your laundry all by yourself. It’s about learning how to overcome obstacles and how to handle setbacks. Sure, class helps you get there, but in the grand scheme of things, it takes more than time at the library to allow for college to become a transformative, developmental experience.
So this exam season, sure, I’ll spend some time in a study room. But I’ll also be taking pictures with friends at the Old Well, tossing a Frisbee on Hooker fields, and enjoying a blueberry wheat beer on the patio at Topo. Because it’s a priority.
