But sometimes it goes a little too far. While I think it’s important to study (we are in college after all), I don’t buy the idea that studying has to come at the expense of everything else. Yes, you should write your essays and do your problem sets. Yes, you should aim to get good grades.
But at what cost?
I remember my freshman year at Hopkins when some friends of mine were skipping meals to study or were eating in the library. I was confused and concerned. We all have work to do (yes, Writing Sems majors have work too), but daily social interaction is healthy and necessary, as is food. If you can’t look away from your notes long enough to have a quick burger or salad, that’s worrisome.
In my opinion, college should be a healthy combination of studying and socializing. The whole “work hard now, enjoy life later” mentality is something I will never support. Enjoy every day. You can’t postpone happiness — people who work insanely hard to enjoy life “later” don’t realize that the years are passing them by, and they’re missing the good life they could be having now. I know people who worked hard in high school who insisted that they would have fun in college. These same people are working nonstop in college insisting grad school will be a better time. When does it end?
Another point: Social learning is just as important as academic learning. If you are a pre-med who doesn’t socialize and doesn’t know how to interact with people, you are going to struggle when you finally become a doctor. No one will care that you aced organic chemistry if you have no bedside manner whatsoever.
Putting aside the necessity of human interaction, there is so much of life that doesn’t come from a textbook. Some people I know love to complain about Baltimore, but most of these people haven’t made an effort to explore it. I used to be guilty of this as well.
I decided to change that by carving some time out of my weekend to explore. I went to City Café. I had a great burger at Abby’s Burger Bistro. I shopped. I went to parts of Baltimore I didn’t even know existed — parts that were absolutely beautiful. There is so much to see beyond the Inner Harbor and the Chipotle on N. Charles Street. (Though nothing is wrong with those places if that’s what you’re into). All I’m saying is that it’s important to see the world.
I am by no means implying that we should all just shirk our responsibilities and spend copious amounts of time and money partying and exploring the city. Here’s what I do propose: Make it a point to do something fun every month. When you look back on your college experience, you aren’t going to remember your grade in linear algebra. Instead you’re going to remember the people, places and encounters that shaped your college experience. Don’t be afraid to have some fun! I promise you won’t regret it in the long run.
