College: it’s where we find ourselves, meet friends that we will remember forever, and, of course, get an education. It’s where we say goodbye to mommy and daddy and finally learn the meaning of autonomy.
To be as cliché as possible, it’s said “with great power comes great responsibility.” In college, we all have the potential to do great things, because the opportunities are endless and practically unlimited. Yet we’re all told it’s about this thing called balance. Don’t sit in your dorm room or in the library and focus on studies only. Don’t go out too much and get involved with bad things, or bad people.
So while we all try to meet new people in an area that has thousands of them, and choose which clubs to join out of the almost 200 of them, our minds may elude that thing called homework.
I remember one of the most prominent lectures at New Student Orientation was when they broke down exactly how many hours of your week were dedicated to specific obligations. There was time for sleep, time for classes and that’s pretty much it. If you average eight hours of sleep a night, (compensating for procrastination during the week and sleeping in on the weekends) and take out fifteen credit hours, you’re left with 97 hours. 97!
So what do you do with 97 hours, or approximately four full days?
Ryan Berger, freshman and broadcasting major, says he gets less than an hour of homework a day. He’s a member of WTOP, the student-run TV station and plans on joining the Improv Comedy Club along with the BlackFriars Theatre Organization.
Freshman Tyler Gornick finds himself busy throughout the day. Majoring in computer/electrical engineering, he has a multitude of classes along with labs that give him, on average, 10 to 12 hours of homework per week. However, it’s something with which he is perfectly comfortable. “I like being busy,” Gornick says. “I like being on a schedule.” Along with a rigorous schedule, he is currently trying out for the boys lacrosse team. Tryouts include two two-hour practices per week and voluntary workouts that the team hosts.
Both students, while varying in classes, groups and athletics, say that they have time to do their assignments, and have done them mostly in a timely manner. And yes, they have time for social lives as well.
They have the balance figured out.
Me? Well I’m glad you asked.
Along with writing for The Oswegonian, helping out with WTOP and writing for an NFL Draft Blog, I think college has really opened up doors for me to prove my responsibility.
The one thing that I had to adjust to was that work outside of the class should equal or surpass work in the class. This isn’t high school anymore where you’re in class seven straight hours. Classes are longer, yes, but less frequent. You ultimately spend less time in class in high school than here.
I was the king of procrastination in high school. The KING. Everyone did it, but I practiced it like a religion and made it an art. But I feel intimidated now that I’m in college, and that intimidation is a good thing.
My workload really hasn’t been that much I would say. Sure I have readings here and there, but that’s pretty much it. I’m taking four 100-level courses; it’s what I expected. But I’m not going to be that person to take it for granted. One thing that really has actually motivated me has been to surround myself with motivated people. People who want to be social, but know when to hit the books. They like to hang out, but when they have work to do, they get to it.
People can only personally motivate themselves so far, before they take advantage of free will and become lethargic. Having people who want the best for you are people you should surround yourself with; your roommate, your friends, your parents.
Don’t take the easy work week for granted, because the next week you may drown. Don’t drown, don’t barely stay afloat, just keep swimming.
