I’m a rising junior in college. I’ve frequently found myself getting anxious about my future, and how quickly it’s approaching. I find myself resenting how quickly the time flies because before I know it, I’ll be graduating. Ramen noodles, dominos and tequila will no longer be an acceptable diet (unless I move to NYC), people will call me an alcoholic if I try to get them to start the day off with shots (I mean they already do but whatever… it’s not what you’re called it’s what you answer to #amiright), and I’ll have to figure out horrific things like taxes and healthcare for myself.
College is amazing. You’re surrounded by thousands of people your age 24/7 with no real supervision and lots of hormones and alcohol to keep things interesting. If you’re lucky, your parents are paying for at least part of it, and while every once in a while it may hit you that you’ll be tens of thousands of dollars in debt after you graduate, for the most part your post grad problems will seem like a figment of your imagination in the four year drunken stupor.
Thinking about leaving a place this magical is hard to stomach. We’ve all been taught that life is a steep, downhill drop from here. I’m not looking forward to bills or responsibilities or 401k’s by any stretch of the imagination, but I think that we’re far too pessimistic. There’s nothing quite like fraternity house hopping, game days, relaxing in the quad or jeopardizing your life/future/well being every weekend, but that doesn’t mean that your life has to look like a disappointing “Where Are They Now” documentary after you graduate.
My managers at work are between 24 and 30, and as dramatic as they can be about aging, they are living proof that growing older doesn’t mean growing dull. They dress well, they’re beautiful and they go out all the time. They’re like a super ethnic version of Sex and The City.
College is a short, once in a lifetime experience that should be enjoyed to its full potential, because once it’s over, it’s over, but that doesn’t mean that the fun is! While growing up does mean new responsibilities, it also means new adventures. So let’s stop looking at every birthday after the 21st as another step into our graves, and instead look at them of new years of being smarter and being able to afford better clothes and alcohol than we could before.
what do you think?