“The Real World”

My mom visited me at school this weekend. Unsurprisingly she was eager to spend time with me being we haven’t seen each other in a long time. She nagged me to entertain her, something difficult in Geneseo. I took her to the library so I could do my work. I explained to her that this is the busiest time of the year, with finals quickly approaching I am swarmed with projects, tests and essays. As I continued to complain about my busy schedule, she replied “please, I’d give anything to go back to college, just wait until you get to the real world.” Any adult would say the same thing when hearing a college student complain, but I believe that the idea of college gets distorted the further away from graduation you get.
 
Adults see college as the best years of their lives, which is agreeable I am dreading the summer and counting down the days till I will be back. But there are also times when I am here wishing I was doing anything but work for hours on end. Students are commonly having anxiety attacks and breakdowns due to the insane amount of work we are expected to complete without a problem. However, when you ask an adult to tell you about college they wouldn’t tell you about the all nighters they pulled struggling to get that essay done in time, they would reminisce on one of their favorite nights out and they amazing friends they made. As you continue on in life the important memories stick with you and what you forget what you want to forget, which explains why my mom was is so eager to relive her college days. I can assure you that if my mom was put in my position, granting her wish of coming back to college, she would be just as stressed as I am.
 
A college student has a lot of pressure on them, yet we get the short end of the stick. People often assume that all students do in college is party and enjoy their new found independence.  Meanwhile I am taking 16 credits this semester struggling to keep up with all the assignments I have hanging over my head. I want to get a full college experience and enjoy my time here before the “real world” I hear so much about while also keeping a balance of getting my work done.
 
This can be related to class because it is part of the academic partnership we as students have with the university. We attend SUNY Geneseo for an education and to receive the rewards the school has to offer as stated in the Mission Statement. But people often get caught up in the risks such as partying and enjoying a new found independence. This is where students develop the skills to balance their social and studious life in order to obtain all the rewards the college is offering. College can be an amazing experience both academically and socially if you are able to achieve both, which is why parents are so willing to do it all again. Although it can be stressful with heavy workloads it is clear that the memories you make will stick with you forever. 

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.