By Jamie Travis – University of Iowa
I’ve been waiting awhile to write about graduation but considering that it only happened a few days ago for me and thousands of other Phis, I will wait a few more months to share what that feels like. Meanwhile, I do want to comment on a question that has crossed my mind many times during the last few months – What is the most important thing about college? Some people say that college is about grades, some say it’s about the social life, and others say it’s about building your resume before you graduate. Well, in my personal opinion, I really think that college is about all of the opportunities it offers.
College really is the first place for many people where they are faced with what seems to be an endless stream of choices and paths to take. It is really amazing to think about how much you can do in college if you’re willing. You can play sports, join many different organizations, be a mascot for your school, be a houseboy for a sorority, write for the school newspaper, etc.
Regardless of the number of choices, the important thing to understand is that only you can make it happen. It sounds so cliche, but it is extremely difficult for many of us to take full advantage of the opportunities, including myself. I will admit, I am very proud of all that I have accomplished in college by joining organizations like Phi Delta Theta, College Republicans and Order of Omega, but I could have done so much more! Many college students waste time watching TV, playing video games, and Facebooking. For example, if I could go back in time, I would have spent less time on the NCAA football video game series and more time on school! Hell, I probably would have thrown away those stupid/but amazingly fun games. Nevertheless, my advice is to reduce the downtime you spend and get yourself out there and involved. It will never be as easy as it is in college to take advantage of so many different opportunities.
Good luck to all of you still in school (I envy you!) and congratulations to the Class of 2010 on graduation!
