| Looking
back, college and circus life have much in common
By Maddie Wilson
April 22, 2008 | "I is
a kolege stoodent." That was the exact wording
on a T-shirt I received for Christmas during my freshman
year of college.
At that time, I just laughed about
it, knowing that I was, actually, brilliantly intelligent
because I was a college student, quite capable of spelling
almost anything.
Yes, four years ago, I proudly walked
around sporting my “kolege” shirt. Four years after
that, I am a senior, just two weeks away from graduation.
I can no longer wear that T-shirt around with ease of
mind. It taunts me now.
“Are you really as intelligent
as you once thought you were?” the shirt asks me. “Do
you know enough to go out into the real world and make
something of yourself, or are you just as dumb as the
quote printed on the front of me?”
Just so that nobody gets too worried
about me, I did not actually hear my T-shirt talking
to me. I just thought it would be a fun literary device
to use to get my point across.
But, it’s not to say I never worked
hard in college. On too many occasions to count, I’ve
worked on a paper or studied for a test well into the
wee hours of the morning. Yes, I’ve done my homework.
It’s just different when you’re in
school. You have professors, advisors and T.A.s to turn
to when you need answers. If you make a mistake, fail
a test or miss an assignment, it’s still possible to
succeed - although I don’t recommend it.
But, in the real world, in a real
job, what happens if you blow a project or assignment?
It seems like the consequences could be a bit more ominous.
I guess I just have to go forward
in faith, feeling confident in everything I’ve learned
and all the hard work I know I have done in these past
four years. The great thing about college, I’ve noticed,
is that you learn more than just the subject matter
taught in class. You learn about life. You experience
challenges, failures, hardships and successes and learn
about integrity and patience.
I’ve learned and experienced lessons
like these as well as others. Some of the lessons I
learned did not come from a textbook, but from experiencing
the rigorous, but fun, college lifestyle. Here are just
a few bits of knowledge I will take with me after graduation:
· No one really cares if you
sluff class.
· Ramen Noodles and Pop-tarts
can, at times, be life-saving. Even if they are not
the healthiest food choices.
· A 22-year-old body can function
after multiple nights of three hours of sleep.
· If you do not want to go
to college, but still want to do something similar,
join the circus. They both involve jumping through hoops
in some way or another.
· Many professors out there
are actually caring human beings, and will do all they
can to help you succeed. I was lucky enough to be taught
and helped by many of these great leaders.
· When registering for each
semester, finding classes that are not already full
and/or fit your schedule is sometimes harder than passing
the actual class.
· In fact, students should
get a diploma or some kind of an award for successfully
registering for a full semester’s worth of classes.
It’s a little hard for me to say
this, but I think that after I’ve graduated, and even
50 years down the road, I will always miss being a college
student.
MS
RR |
