Well I on the other hand just finished up three hours worth of accounting homework. Doesn't that sound like loads of fun? As I hobbled into my bed that's just a little to high for me I closed my eyes to try to escape the pain from my aching wrists. My carpal tunnel has been getting worse and my splitting headache wasn't helping. At twenty years old my body is already giving out on me what is to come of me in the next fifty year? As I let my muscles relax I stared up at the ceiling and thought I want to be on a bike ride.
Last semester I took two very different classes micro economics and performance of literature. Both classes taught me something very important inadvertently. And that something is to embrace the power of youth. Let me explain in my performance of literature class I had to give a performance of a poem and I chose to perform "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen" by Baz Luhrman. My favorite line from this poem is"Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, nevermind, you won't understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked."After reading this line over and over again until it is ingrained in my brain it really made me wonder about my life. Am I taking advantage of all the opportunities I am given in my youth?
The other class that really made me think was my micro economics class. I had Dr. Schuhmman and I highly recommend him, he's a great teacher. But one day he was trying to explain opportunity cost. And for those of you who don't know what it is, don't feel bad it's extremely unimportant but I will explain it to you anyway. It is the value of what you give up for the next best thing. One day in class he explained the opportunity cost of going to college. He explained our opportunity cost as being equivalent to the money we could be making instead of taking classes, the experiences we could be having instead of studying for our finals, and the relationships we could have without the stress of school work. Is this four years of education really worth all the things we're giving up?
Someday I will grow old and I don't want to look back on my life and wonder why I didn't do what I really wanted to do when I had the chance.
First off, I'm sorry to hear about your wrist! :(
ReplyDeleteI think about this topic a lot too. It seems like there is a set "roadmap" for us to follow that doesn't give a lot of leeway. We're supposed to be finishing up our college degrees, looking for jobs, and maybe even settling down with a significant other in a few years. With all of these expectations how are we able to do things that are fun? I want to go on a cruise this summer, but with classes and looking for a job after college (I'm graduating in December) I don't know if I'll be able to or not.
Very thoughtful post! :)
First, Schuhmann is a great teacher! He made econ really intuitive for me. Secondly, I can empathize with your conflict about being in school. I feel like I have an obligation to my whole family (extended included) to finish school with honors. I have other priorities I would rather be pursuing right now, but I've come to terms with the fact that I'm in the midst of a huge investment that I would rather take advantage of now then later. I still plan on having tons of fun and pursuing what I love until my body can't take it anymore. When you get out of college you will still have your whole life ahead of you along with an international standard of knowledge every college graduate has.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said, but overall I feel that, even though at times it may seem like we are wasting four years of our lives, it'll all be worth it in the long run. You talk about your boyfriend working in a law firm and being able to support himself and pay for his rent, car, gas, phone, dog and utilities, did he go to school at all? How did he start working in a law firm without a degree?
ReplyDeleteIn the end I think that you should follow your intuition to figure out what is best for you! And I know that right now you are probably thinking that you are missing out on so many thinks while you pass your time studying for exams, but the reality is that there are so many things that you can learn and experience in college outside of the class room. Trust me, it won't be a regret!
I understand how you feel. There are times when I would much rather go out with friends and do something fun, however, I have responsibilites to school and even work. I guess I've always looked at things with a "work hard, play harder" mentality. I know right now I can't do all the things I would like to do because I'm in school or haven't acquired the funds to do it. But I do know all this hard work I'm putting towards my education now will provide me with greater benefits in the future.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely don't want to miss out on life, or ever look back and say, "I wish I..." Although I do that all the time, it's not healthy. However, I do hear a lot of talk from people these days and how old they feel they are getting. We are getting older but I can't wait for this next decade of adult freedom. My 30's will be my grown man period and when I'll look to have children. I still think we have a lot of time to have spontaneous fun. Try not to get tied down to a boring marriage too young or you'll be upset. Try and use your college years to absorb all the information you can, and then later focus on landing a job that you feel satisfies you after your finished with the days work.
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