Not another obligatory senior advice column
Alexander Richards
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Opinions
Another adage I've heard time and again is that "what you learn outside of class is just as important as what you learn in class." I agree, but I agree to the extreme. I think every student should experiment with both ends of this spectrum. Pick one class, and make it a point to go to every single one-no matter what. Even if it means suffering through an hour and fifteen minute lecture while coughing up a lung, or skipping out on a long weekend with friends. Come the end of the semester, not only will you be prepared for whatever evaluation lies ahead, but you will have a newfound respect for commitment and prioritization. Moreover, you won't worry that you could have missed a lecture that might have changed your life, or helped you figure out which of those aforementioned dreams you are supposed to follow in life.
I sincerely apologize to the faculty for the following words: don't forget to skip class every now and then. Even if it's for an inconsequential reason, from taking that long weekend trip to digging around the bins at Ken-a-Set for a while. Everyone can miss class for the big things-family events, championship games or a front row ticket to a Sox/Yankees game. Your best memories, however, may come from that day you piled into your friend's car, drove out to the coast and just sat by the beach for a while. Who knows, maybe you'll run into your soulmate. Or maybe you'll find an accidentally discarded tchotchke at Ken-a-Set that becomes a family heirloom. Don't be afraid to leave no stone unturned, even the pebbles.
Should you heed any of my advice, don't forget to put some of it off. Go ahead, procrastinate. I did. A lot. I got things done ahead of time too, but I probably learned more from my procrastination. I admit to having written well over 20 pages in one night more than a few times in my academic career, with the corresponding research concluding only moments before the writing began. Did these situations stress me out to no end? Absolutely. Was I forced to pull all-nighters? More than I'd like to admit. But I learned incredibly valuable things about managing time when there isn't enough to go around, and how to deal with limited resources and factors out of your control (computer glitches, missing books, and so on). During my summer internship, these skills proved just as valuable (if not more so) as my heavily regulated planning ahead techniques. I was able to finish projects by impossible deadlines on little to no sleep, simply because I learned how to do so. I can't advise doing this for every project, but in life, planning ahead is often not an option. So learn how to deal with it. And do it now, when it's grades on the line and not companies, relationships or human lives.
I sincerely apologize to the faculty for the following words: don't forget to skip class every now and then. Even if it's for an inconsequential reason, from taking that long weekend trip to digging around the bins at Ken-a-Set for a while. Everyone can miss class for the big things-family events, championship games or a front row ticket to a Sox/Yankees game. Your best memories, however, may come from that day you piled into your friend's car, drove out to the coast and just sat by the beach for a while. Who knows, maybe you'll run into your soulmate. Or maybe you'll find an accidentally discarded tchotchke at Ken-a-Set that becomes a family heirloom. Don't be afraid to leave no stone unturned, even the pebbles.
Should you heed any of my advice, don't forget to put some of it off. Go ahead, procrastinate. I did. A lot. I got things done ahead of time too, but I probably learned more from my procrastination. I admit to having written well over 20 pages in one night more than a few times in my academic career, with the corresponding research concluding only moments before the writing began. Did these situations stress me out to no end? Absolutely. Was I forced to pull all-nighters? More than I'd like to admit. But I learned incredibly valuable things about managing time when there isn't enough to go around, and how to deal with limited resources and factors out of your control (computer glitches, missing books, and so on). During my summer internship, these skills proved just as valuable (if not more so) as my heavily regulated planning ahead techniques. I was able to finish projects by impossible deadlines on little to no sleep, simply because I learned how to do so. I can't advise doing this for every project, but in life, planning ahead is often not an option. So learn how to deal with it. And do it now, when it's grades on the line and not companies, relationships or human lives.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
esther bushell
posted 5/03/09 @ 11:49 AM EST
Alex,
I think that you should be Colby's commencement speaker. Were you that balanced and wise in your senior year at GHS? You and Colby were obviously good for each other. (Continued…)
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