College = Regret

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image from http://stanford.edu/~clunis/nora/2010-12-17-goodnight.jpg
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Written by Maci Sepp. Media by Jack Dawdy.

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We all have those mornings when we just cannot help ourselves keep from hitting the snooze button. Maybe you were out late the night before having fun with friends or up late writing that research paper you forgot about over the weekend. Or maybe you had nothing. Maybe you just crawled into bed exhausted from just living life and trying to make it through college. As students, we tend to rush our time in college. Whether that means spending it all on classes and work or wasting it having a little too much fun, graduation rolls around the corner before we can even blink. Why do we have this growing need to accomplish and participate in so much when the result is often a drop in motivation and endless tiredness? Sometimes, it feels like the added stress just isn’t worth it.

I remember how when I was younger, adults would always tell me not to grow up too fast. I would always answer, “I’ll try not to!” but of course time is inevitable. It has a way of catching up with you when you least expect it. More than once I’ve experienced a whoa-I’m-already-in-college feeling, and to be honest, it makes me pretty nervous. I question whether everything I’ve tried to be involved in or accomplish may not be worth it and whether I’m wasting my time not going on adventures and enjoying my youth while I still can.

It seems like the culture we live in encourages students to push themselves by taking on busy lives and full schedules. We spend 13 long years in primary and secondary school just to be told that it’s supposed to prepare us for college, which prepares us for jobs, which gives us… what exactly? An income? There are no guarantees these days. Happiness? Only if it’s a job you love. A life? Maybe.

We have to change our default setting of pessimism and frustration to excitement and liveliness. Your education is sacred and valuable, so you should be in a state where you can give it your full focus and attention. If that means you have to take a semester off or change your major or take a break from activities, then do it. You want to feel mature and ready to take on what life has in store. This doesn’t mean hitting up a bunch of wild parties and squandering off your life savings, but it does mean taking time to be still or at least not constantly move at the speed of light. College shouldn’t be a regret; it’s one of the greatest opportunities you’re ever going to get.

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