Guys, relax
By: Bobby Farlow
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: Opinions
Things are starting to get serious.
I regularly receive angry calls from my car insurance company, exchange emails with some business contacts and browse through the LL Bean Winter catalog. I'm getting older and there's nothing I can do about it.
I am still in college, however, which means that there's hope.
We all have come to Furman from very different backgrounds, and each of us possesses a different mindset when it comes to what we want to get out of our college experience. I hope to explore here what I take to be a universal truth that may be applied to all students, no matter what background or perspective they may bring to the table.
First, I believe that those who say college is a privilege make a vast understatement. According to the Census Bureau, there are about 12.6 million undergraduate and graduate students in the United States. Without delving into too many statistics, we can safely assume that this number represents a very privileged minority.
Because of our privilege, I believe that we all have a duty and responsibility to make the most out of our four years here. The question is, what is the best way to go about this?
During a normal day, a college student has a lot of take in - both inside as well as outside the classroom. In my opinion, how we deal with and evaluate what transpires outside of the classroom is vastly more important than what goes on inside the academic buildings. I'm talking about the basic values that we take away from this place when it's time to move on.
The situation we now find ourselves in is something that we must not take for granted. Although we all have our fair share of complaints about this University, we all must appreciate the environment we get to share with our peers and teachers. In a few years, the people with whom you've spent your college years will no longer be just a stroll down a hall. As we grow older, and priorities continue to change, everything becomes a little more separated.
While I understand the importance of studying and working towards a greater purpose, whether that be a graduate school, job or helping others, I also believe that every goal has its time and place. College is a balancing act, but one which all too often leans in one direction. In this era of academia, where the workload is constantly increasing, there is something to be said about reprioritizing.
Now, more than ever, college students have a unique opportunity to develop relationships and personal values in ways that cannot be read in a book or displayed via power point. Even though every student's future hinges on his or her GPA and standardized test scores, these things in life can only get you so far. There is much more to be said about the people you meet, the times you have and what you learn about yourself in the process.
In closing, I'll leave you with some sound advice from Tom Petty:
"The work never ends, but college does..."
I regularly receive angry calls from my car insurance company, exchange emails with some business contacts and browse through the LL Bean Winter catalog. I'm getting older and there's nothing I can do about it.
I am still in college, however, which means that there's hope.
We all have come to Furman from very different backgrounds, and each of us possesses a different mindset when it comes to what we want to get out of our college experience. I hope to explore here what I take to be a universal truth that may be applied to all students, no matter what background or perspective they may bring to the table.
First, I believe that those who say college is a privilege make a vast understatement. According to the Census Bureau, there are about 12.6 million undergraduate and graduate students in the United States. Without delving into too many statistics, we can safely assume that this number represents a very privileged minority.
Because of our privilege, I believe that we all have a duty and responsibility to make the most out of our four years here. The question is, what is the best way to go about this?
During a normal day, a college student has a lot of take in - both inside as well as outside the classroom. In my opinion, how we deal with and evaluate what transpires outside of the classroom is vastly more important than what goes on inside the academic buildings. I'm talking about the basic values that we take away from this place when it's time to move on.
The situation we now find ourselves in is something that we must not take for granted. Although we all have our fair share of complaints about this University, we all must appreciate the environment we get to share with our peers and teachers. In a few years, the people with whom you've spent your college years will no longer be just a stroll down a hall. As we grow older, and priorities continue to change, everything becomes a little more separated.
While I understand the importance of studying and working towards a greater purpose, whether that be a graduate school, job or helping others, I also believe that every goal has its time and place. College is a balancing act, but one which all too often leans in one direction. In this era of academia, where the workload is constantly increasing, there is something to be said about reprioritizing.
Now, more than ever, college students have a unique opportunity to develop relationships and personal values in ways that cannot be read in a book or displayed via power point. Even though every student's future hinges on his or her GPA and standardized test scores, these things in life can only get you so far. There is much more to be said about the people you meet, the times you have and what you learn about yourself in the process.
In closing, I'll leave you with some sound advice from Tom Petty:
"The work never ends, but college does..."