Use college years to mature, grow up

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Growing up is something most people can’t wait to do when they’re youngsters. Now, as we’re well in the midst of growing older, many of us students can’t believe life almost is in full swing.

Although college sometimes is referred to as “the best times of our lives,” it’s also a gateway into our adult lives. It prepares us for our real lives. Our dreams of being firefighters, star athletes and astronauts could be completely thrown out the window, as we realize they might be impossible or improbable.

College life teaches us how to responsibly live on our own while being minimally supervised. Yet, so many of us live life in college on a whim. Many people don’t treat it as though they are about to enter the real world after four years.

Sometimes they try to extend their college life a few years to keep their partying habits alive, because they just can’t bring themselves to take the final step into adulthood.

I always was excited at the prospect of growing into a more mature version of myself. I often tried to take myself way too seriously as a kid.

I couldn’t wait to hold the responsibilities that I watched my parents practice every day. But as I find myself in my second year away from home and more aware of how serious life has to be taken, it makes me long to be a child again. But it also has helped me realize how great it is to have college to help assist me in growing old.

Sometimes, the most mature people in life are those who were thrust into the real world without having the luxury of college. They had to work hard and learn skills on the fly to survive.

Some people flourish in that situation; others fizzle and end up not doing anything with their lives. But people who spend time in college have the same choice to work hard in life or waste their potential.

The difference is college students get an expensive, four-year learning period. If you’re not going to use college for its vast spiritual, educational and life lessons, you might as well save your — or your parents’ — money.

Although it’s a good thing to practice some sort of immaturity in college, students must begin to look at what they need to learn in their years at school. Where responsibility begins in college is the actual schoolwork.

Too often a student is pressed for time and is forced to fudge an assignment. Sure, classes sometimes pack on way more than a student can handle, but it shouldn’t be an excuse to try less.

I’m not saying I’m not guilty of writing a paper without reading a book; in fact I pride myself in my abilities to do so, but that needs to change.

When thinking about life in the future, would it be effective to do a project at a job without researching and doing it uninformed on the subject at hand? Probably not.

Doing so in school is liable to get you a poor grade, which isn’t a big deal. Doing so at work could cost you a job and ruin a career.
Another big portion of college life is independent living.

Some people are fully assisted by their parents, so they’re at a loss in this category. But being knowledgeable about money is a huge aspect of life. Without a good chunk of money in savings, graduates will have a hard time getting a solid life foundation started.

The same goes for a solid credit rating. It’s easy to ruin credit scores in college with debt, which can make it incredibly hard to find a place to live or buy a car. So next time you’re looking to eat out or have fun on a night on the town, watch your pennies.

Living in the dorms offers a few of the same amenities as living at home. The cafeterias cook the food. The bathrooms are cleaned every morning.

It’s almost as though we never left our mothers. Once it comes time to move out of the dorms, it’s an interesting experience to see how people react.

The mass amounts of processed foods. The interesting artwork and smells growing in the bathrooms. Basic homemaking skills are important for everyone to learn.

Being in college offers so many opportunities. It’s an extremely pricey educational entity. Life lessons can be learned without it, but college offers a nice buffer which allows us to learn responsibilities with a safety net.

Don’t waste the experiences or the money. Use it all wisely in efforts to move from child to adult.

Pat Evans is the State News opinion writer. Reach him at evanspa7@msu.edu.

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