Sunday. The day of rest never seems to live up to expectations. For me, it usually includes relentlessly avoiding my homework for hours, consuming copious amounts of peanut butter cups, always followed by the crippling realization that it’s 10 p.m. and I have accomplished next to nothing all day. I always have to pay for my Sundays later in the week, which usually results in very long nights doing the mindless assignments that I had previously deemed a “waste of my weekend” and subsequently refused to complete them until the night before they’re due.
I live in a residence hall here on campus and as a result, I am lucky enough to live steps away from all of my best friends. This often causes distractions when trying to complete my work, as most of them are the rowdiest, most fun and interesting people I know. And really, who wouldn’t get distracted by a guy using bunk-bed ladders for stilts, or a girl screaming about how she just received the creme brulee blowtorch she purchased on Amazon. It is nearly impossible to pretend that my homework is more important than potentially consuming creme brulee.
But are homework assignments really what college is all about? While I consider myself to be very committed to my studies and I do believe that school work needs to be done diligently, there are certain things that trump a chapter of reading for a class I am not really interested in.
In life, it is the relationships we make with people, experiences we have and our attitudes that make us who we are. As students at UW-Madison, we are given an incredible opportunity to potentially meet someone new every day whether killing time waiting for class to start or finding somewhere to sit for lunch. As a freshman, this place was like a new beginning, and the adventures here are unmatched with anything I’ve experienced previously.
While we all know that calculus is such a life-long applicable subject, those power lectures do not teach us what happens when you try to hang a hammock from two lofted dorm beds (the guys on Liz Waters’ fourth floor can show you, if you’re ever in the neighborhood). They will never teach me how much the girl across the hall loves to sing, or what a chemistry genius my neighbor is. These types of learning experiences go beyond the classroom.
There are so many experiences to be had outside of our textbooks. Talk to someone new. Learn why your roommate has a scar on her knee. Ask your friend how their day was and listen to every moment of it. Your relationships with people are only as strong as the effort you put in, and it is absolutely worth the effort. A lot of learning in college takes place outside of the classroom, as it should. Your growth in college should not only be academic.
Finally, be kind. School is stressful, and we all experience those feelings of dread and anxiety. All of us go through ups and downs—that’s just part of life. But it is crucial to be there for those who need it. Smile at everyone you speak to, and be the light in someone’s day. They may really need it. Never neglect the basic kindness and thoughtfulness, because people will always remember the way you made them feel.
So while work may seem never ending, do not ignore the world as it quickly passes by. I cannot believe how quickly these last few months have gone, and they would have been so much emptier without sunset swims in Lake Mendota, or midnight mud sliding on a random Monday. It is so important to live in the moment and take the opportunity to learn lessons and build relationships outside of the classroom. I think it will ultimately prove disappointing to miss out on these experiences. Study strong, but do not let studying be the only thing you do.
Marisa is a freshman writer for The Daily Cardinal and currently undecided on a major. Do you agree or disagree with her stance on living in the moment? We’d like to hear your view. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
