Today I was talking with one of the mothers of a child with whom I work. She mentioned to me that it took her fourteen years to complete her college career and I responded with how much I would not mind if that were me.
Granted, in reality, I'm probably getting ahead of myself, I am only in my fourth year of college and I bet if I were still here ten years from now, I would be rather frustrated.
But this was not the first time I have had this thought; can I be a professional student?
The fact is, that I live to be a student. I love everything there is about the experience (except the finances...). I love having a set routine of school from August/September until May/June. I love having the daily and weekly routine down to a science. I like mapping out my classes, and my work schedule accordingly. Even more, I love getting involved in extracurricular activities! I love being surrounded by my peers, by people who understand my daily struggles more than anybody else. I love growing, and I love learning.
Being a student sometimes gets a bad rep. You constantly hear people complaining about the grueling long nights, the mountains of homework, and the overwhelming stress of the entire experience. Add on the drama of a social life, the strain of finances, and the whole "not knowing what I'm doing with my life" bit and you can easily understand why so many people hate school.
But I love all of it. I love walking around campus and seeing familiar faces. I love bonding with peers over stressful exams, work horror stories, and general complaints about the school.
I love staying up all night, fueled by my caffeine, cranking out an essay. I love the next day when I've barely slept and I walk in with a finished product that I am not only happy to get rid of, but proud to turn in. I love the feeling of having accomplished something.
I love that when you're a student, every day is different. Though it may seem like the routine gets repetitive, it never does. You never learn the same thing twice. You never see the exact same people and have the exact same conversations. Being a student means that each day your experiences are different from the day before. Being a student means adventure, fun, and excitement.
I've been a student for seventeen years. I plan on continuing my education and therefore may be a student for the next five or so more years. And I am perfectly okay with spending the majority of my "youth" with this label.
Being a student is my life. It's what I love to do. Being a student is and always will be amazing.
