You know the one I’m talking about, who flits around life mooching off others, sort of going to class, sort of reliable, sort of a good friend. They get by because of personality or maybe because they have just enough book smarts to still make honor roll even without going to class often or studying as they should. They’re probably fun, even if they forget your birthday or don’t call when they know you’re going through a tough time. They’re a good person, they have a heart, they just don’t have much commitment in life.
I know this person well because I was this person. Oh sure, I took the next steps in life, applying to colleges when I was a senior in high school, declaring a major when I finally had to because the amount of classes I’d completed dictated so. But I didn’t put my all into it – my applications, searching out scholarships or researching universities to figure out which would best suit my intended college studies and plans, because I had no plans beyond the next step. I ended up hanging around college much longer than any major short of medical school would require, simply because I was that student. The one who didn’t plan, didn’t research, didn’t think of the consequences of their actions.
I ended up costing myself and others valuable time and money, two things in life not found in great abundance. I enjoyed my time in college and am grateful for a degree and the doors it’s opened, grateful for those who made college possible for me – but oh how I wish I could go back and do it differently. I wish I had realized high school was the time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I wish I’d applied for scholarships, and had a plan before ever walking onto campus that first day. I wish I’d been a direct, hard-working student. College is a time to be enjoyed but also a time to work. I wish I’d realized that so much sooner than I did. I’ve accomplished a lot in my life, but it could have been so much more if only somebody had taken hold of me, given me a good hard shake, and helped me to see that being that student is a selfish waste. Be wiser than I was and utilize the advantages of college to their fullest.
