Freshmen should seek balance

By Anna Woelfel

When there is music blasting out of Swig and assorted collections of students lying in the sun, a classroom is the last place anyone wants to be. Is it irresponsible not to go to class and enjoy the sun instead?

Maybe a bit, but college is not just a place a student goes to receive an education; college is -- and should be -- a holistic experience. As my freshman year winds down, I have discovered that finding a balance between going to college and "experiencing college" is the most important and challenging part of school.

There are students on both sides of the spectrum. Those who spend all of their time in the library may get perfect grades, but will they look back on their college years with regrets?

College is more than a place to learn about history, math or science; it is also place to gain life experiences. No one meets new people or broadens their horizons by writing a paper. There is a lot to be learned in college, but not all of it comes from a book. Mark Twain wisely said, "Don't let your schooling interfere with your education."

College is the time one develops lifelong relationships, discovers who they are as a person and creates a multitude of memories. I bonded the most with my friends during those late night "why have I not done my homework yet" moments. If all of us had been responsible and finished our homework at a reasonable hour, would we have had that heart-to-heart? Chances are, probably not.

Julia Harrison, a fellow freshman, emphasized the importance of going to parties.

"I party to meet people, and I have never once made a new friend by doing homework. You miss an important socializing opportunity by not going out."

What I will remember most about college will not be the papers I wrote or the tests I took. What I will remember is the crazy party I went to on a Wednesday night, or that amazing day I spent in San Francisco.

Then there are the students on the other side of the spectrum: those who take the "experiencing college" idea way too far. They will party hard before a midterm or final and often ditch class because they are too hung over. A majority of them might as well be using their tuition money as a cover charge for parties.

Freshman year is the easiest year to go down this path and forget about responsibilities. In high school everything was about getting into a good college, but now what are students working towards? A job and graduate school are too far away for most freshmen to think about, so they have no conception of the long-term consequences of their actions.

Additionally, it is their first time away from their parents. No one is there to hold them accountable. They now get to make their own choices and often temptations are too great for them to make the right choice.

"A lot of kids just do whatever is fun freshman year. They don't think about the long term consequences of their actions," freshman Nick Miller said.

They view college as their excuse to party and be wild, but eventually, after four years of partying, what will they have to show for it? A damaged liver and bad grades? Neither of those things will help them in the real world.

Both groups of students, the crazy partiers as well as the bookworms, are missing out on important aspects of college.

The balance between going to college and "experiencing college" is a very difficult thing to find. Some weeks, one may party more and cast their schoolwork aside; other weeks, one may be so inundated with homework that they should have their mail forwarded to the library. Either way, students must always strive for balance. I do not think anyone can achieve a perfect balance, but should instead keep everything in perspective. So ditch class and enjoy the sun, just don't do it regularly.

Anna Woelfel is a freshman communication major.