As college students, we anticipate the end of the spring semester where we are finally free from projects, essays, and exams for the summer. But before we are done with all of this, we have to endure finals week. Finals week consists of long nights of writing, reading, and especially studying. I had major concern and stress during the dreaded finals week. And what I did to prepare for finals was not quite ideal—it was actually the opposite.
During finals week I did something irresponsible and careless—I went to a concert the night before my finals. I bought my tickets back in December knowing that the concert took place during finals week, but I did not let that effect my decision in buying them or attending the concert. Maybe it was not my greatest decision, but it taught me something more important than anything else I had learned this past semester. I learned that it was OK to not keep my head buried in a textbook, but rather make memories during the most important years of my life.
I chose waiting in line for seven hours for one of my favorite bands (The 1975) instead of studying for a final. During those seven hours, I was filled with anticipation and stress: Anticipation for the concert; stress for the finals. But as I stood about 20 feet from my favorite band, I felt the stress go free. I was in a crowd of hundreds of people, shoulder to shoulder. I sang, screamed, and danced during the three-hour concert. And everything felt all right. Everything that had to do with finals slipped from my mind during each set. Every part of me felt like that's where I belonged and where I felt most happy, not in my bedroom studying all night.
I didn't study for an A, or maybe even a B for that matter. I am not that type of person to study to just get by or complete any task to just get by. College is important to me and so are my grades. I've always chose to make college a priority and to be the best I can be during my college years. But I realized that I am not going to look back one day and remember an exam I studied for, but rather remember the time I saw my favorite band perform. I asked myself how often will I remember the times I played life by the rules or safe.
What I will remember is the how beautiful that night was. I will remember walking on the venue premises at 12 p.m. and not leaving there until 11 p.m. I will remember how captivating every detail of the concert was from the stage lighting to the sounds of each performance. I will always remember one of the times I felt the most alive and carefree.
So was it worth? In every possible way, ditching studying to go to a concert was worth it. Choosing to attend a concert that I will never forget will forever be embedded in my brain, not studying for an exam. But, of course, studying for finals is important, and I did study. I just didn't study as hard as I could. But I am glad I went out and enjoyed life and the music scene. I will always be a concert junkie, and I am OK with ditching priorities to go out and enjoy music and its beauty every once in a while.
