Let’s be real. We are all at NSU for one reason and one reason only: to get a degree. At least, that is what most people are here for. But college is supposed to be more than that. You’re supposed to get engaged with clubs and organizations, get passionate about causes and “find yourself” while you learn more about your potential career field.
Sure, it might be hard to think about doing those kinds of things when you’re trying to focus on getting an A, but it’s important to at least give it a shot. Look at it this way: we all hear our parents or other adults in our lives mention the “good old days of college” when we bring up we are studying at NSU, but I have never understood or had that mentality. What are the good “old days of college?” I’m a junior and most of my memories of NSU are about classwork, studying, pulling all-nighters and maybe a night or two on the town.
I don’t think I’m alone in that. In our generation, we are aware that finding a job after graduation is hard, especially since a lot of us have college debt that we are going to have to worry about. Despite that, we can’t forget that it is just as important to balance all that school out with a social life, no matter what that means for you. That way, when we look back at our fond memories of NSU, they aren’t all just full of stories from the classroom, but outside the classroom too. Now, I’m not saying go crazy and throw a week-long rager in Mako Hall — I don’t think the RA’s or your neighbors will approve.
I think you need to do what sounds interesting to you, wherever your interests lie. If it means starting a club on campus for those who love watching “The Office,” go ahead and do that. If that means attending that party your roommate invited you to or even just going to the movies or the flea market on your free days, do what matters to you and don’t be afraid to let NSU be a part of that.
Go to some of the games on campus or other student-based activities that the university puts on. SEABoard, SGA and a lot of other organizations work really hard to make the experiences you have at NSU outside of the classroom just as fulfilling and engaging as inside the classroom. So go on, make some memories. You never know, maybe you will meet your soon-to-be best friend on line at Crunch Brunch or maybe your future partner in life or your career will be at that one party you almost said no to.
What I’m trying to say is that college is a short time in our lives where we make lasting memories we can look back on. It’s really the only time in life that you will ever have as much free time. So take advantage of the time you have and make some memories so that one day when a college student mentions that they go to NSU or another university, you can tell your own stories of the “good old days.”
