2008 Woodie Awards
We're 'gonna make it after all'
Chris Higa
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Opinion
Too often, college students are labeled as lazy drunks who are only interested in partying. This pisses me off because there are people with careers who party just as hard. The justification seems to be that life is harder for the working men and women, so they are allowed to behave this way. Here is to the misunderstood college students.
We work just as hard but in a different way. Granted, most of us go to class for a few hours a day. But then consider that on any given day, we will have about four to five hours of homework, reading, papers, studying and group work. That's just for students who concentrate on classes. Many of us are involved in athletic teams, clubs, intramurals and fraternities or sororities where chair or executive board positions are held.
I realize many people with careers also have several roles, but while we are in college, we are still developing our sense of self. Upon graduation, this uncertainty is reduced because typically, attention becomes more focused on career and/or family. Here's to the hard-working college students who have one, even two jobs and can still make the Dean's List.
What about a last-semester senior? On top of everything else, we are trying to find a job (because, God forbid, we graduate and don't have some direction). This means missing class and driving several hours for an interview only to turn around and dash back to make classes for the next day. Here's to the determined college students who won't back down.
At the other end of the spectrum is a first-semester freshman. Do you remember, or can you imagine the pressure they are under? Many have had the luxury of relying on parents, then all of a sudden, they are free.
If you were like me, you went nuts and partied very hard. It's intimidating being on your own and learning how to be self-reliant. Balancing money and expenses can be very scary. Not to mention learning how to fit classes into a busy schedule. Here's to the mature college students who stay up all night to study for a final.
We work just as hard but in a different way. Granted, most of us go to class for a few hours a day. But then consider that on any given day, we will have about four to five hours of homework, reading, papers, studying and group work. That's just for students who concentrate on classes. Many of us are involved in athletic teams, clubs, intramurals and fraternities or sororities where chair or executive board positions are held.
I realize many people with careers also have several roles, but while we are in college, we are still developing our sense of self. Upon graduation, this uncertainty is reduced because typically, attention becomes more focused on career and/or family. Here's to the hard-working college students who have one, even two jobs and can still make the Dean's List.
What about a last-semester senior? On top of everything else, we are trying to find a job (because, God forbid, we graduate and don't have some direction). This means missing class and driving several hours for an interview only to turn around and dash back to make classes for the next day. Here's to the determined college students who won't back down.
At the other end of the spectrum is a first-semester freshman. Do you remember, or can you imagine the pressure they are under? Many have had the luxury of relying on parents, then all of a sudden, they are free.
If you were like me, you went nuts and partied very hard. It's intimidating being on your own and learning how to be self-reliant. Balancing money and expenses can be very scary. Not to mention learning how to fit classes into a busy schedule. Here's to the mature college students who stay up all night to study for a final.
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