What’s college like?

Sometimes professors are great, sometimes they aren’t. You have assignments, tests, and reading to last you weeks (18 of them to be exact), you are always misplacing the one thing you need, there isn’t enough coffee in the world, sleep deprivation makes you feel crazy, your cell phone’s alarm clock becomes the object of your rage in the morning (again, I’m sorry for what I said when you woke me up), the bookstore charges way too much for textbooks, you can never keep up with everything, and don’t get me started on student loans. Between my work schedule, home life, and my homework and classes, it is really a true statement when I post my biannual Facebook status at the beginning of each semester saying, “The textbooks have taken me hostage and have given a release date of (last day of finals week). They won’t take a ransom and refuse to negotiate. See everyone again then!”

Seriously, though, college is pretty cool if you put all those things aside. Professors can be interesting people, class discussions are stimulating and active, assignments can be fun, and if you aren’t a total wallflower like me then you make friends in class that you can study with. People in college are all there because they choose to be, not because they have to be. It makes the environment different from high school, or at least what I picture normal high school to be. Maybe it’s because college students are more mature, or maybe it’s because we are all paying a pretty penny each semester to be students here.

The library is the center of campus. It also happens to be where I work. It’s almost always busy during the week. So many students and even a few professors come up to the circulation desk for help finding research materials, books, DVDs, etc. There is always shelving to be done, and I have found quite a few books I want to read from pulling them off the cart to check a call number. Even with all the activity, it still remains a peaceful place where I get a good portion of my homework done at. It's also one of my favorite places on campus.

College really does push you to your limits, and then pushes you some more. It’s taught me that Amazon is a gift from God. It’s made me doubt myself more than once. It’s made me question my major/career aspirations more than once. At the same time, it's made me a stronger person, and it's given me insight into how I manage my time. It’s made me so very tired, and it’s also taken my Netflix usage down to a pretty low level. It’s also made me a member of the dean’s honor roll for the past two semesters.

When I graduate with my Bachelor’s degree, it will all be worth it. And then I get to look forward to the lessons and ways of law school.