Students should enjoy college

March 26, 2007 —

Most people reading this are in the prime of their life. We've finished the high school thing and we all made the choice to go to college. We're somewhere in between teenagers and adults, and I think it's perfect.

Like a lot of you, I worry about school and paying my bills. The rest of the time is for us to decide what to do with it. I'm telling you right now to do the most asinine, screwed up, silly things you can possibly think of without killing yourselves. We don't need an excuse. We're college students. Do whatever you want.

If whatever you want includes drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, having sex, and staying up until six in the morning even though you have class at eight, then do it. If what you want to do is settle down, get married, and have kids while you're attending school, then do that. We're big kids now; we know how to make decisions for ourselves. If you don't think you can handle this, then I advise you to leave college promptly.

Whatever you choose, it isn't wrong, and don't let anyone tell you that it is. Who cares if you smoke too much? Who cares if you cheat on your boyfriend? You're in college. You're supposed to cheat on your boyfriend at a frat party. It's the only time life will allow you to.

Maybe I'm giving some radical examples. I'm not exactly supporting cigarette smoking or cheating (in fact, I don't do either). However, I look down upon no one for choices like those at this point in our lives. If this stuff doesn't happen now, there is little to no room in our lives later. People will eventually get bored with this lifestyle anyway. They'll grow out of it, make better decisions, and maybe obtain some morals. If not, then whatever.

I'm sure we all know that drinking can be dangerous, smoking causes cancer, and sex can lead to terrible diseases and unwanted babies. SVSU offers alcohol awareness programs and condoms can be found in the C-Store and probably in the Health Services office. Everyone that attends this school should already know all of this and should be ready to decide how they want to put their knowledge to use.

But maybe you enjoy studying, quiet nights, and going to bed at a decent hour. That is also fine, but that doesn't mean people who choose to put off homework, stay up late, and participate in other such actions are wrong and are automatically going to Hell. I hope those quiet types of people don't live on campus, since studying, being quiet, and going to bed on time are things that should rarely happen.

Don't be an alcoholic. Don't smoke yourself to death. Don't fail out of college.

But don't shelter yourself, either. Leave this university with at least one outrageous story to tell your children someday. It doesn't have to do with any of the examples mentioned above, but I really hope it's just something. I'm urging all of you to try something that you never have, just once.