College is really hard, and it's a big deal to graduate with a degree. Not a master's, not a ph.d. A bachelor's degree. 4-5-6 years of 60 hour work weeks, constant self-evaluation, and swallowed pride.
I'm not sure how other colleges operate; I've heard a lot of rumors about hand-out degrees and "easy A's." Regardless of the means by which another student gains his or her degree, I will one day be able to say with honesty that I freaking earned this freaking degree by freaking working my freaking butt off. Freaking.
I don't work hard every day-- I believe in resting. I believe that it's good to have productive, focused, meaningful rest. I know that when I make myself write down everything in my mind before I go to bed, and that list exceeds 2 dozen items, it's time for rest. Today, I chose to skip my voice studio (which meets for 2 hours on Sunday afternoons) in order to rest, since it was to be followed by 5.5 hours of opera rehearsal. Later, I received a nasty, passive-aggressive email from my instructor who was, I quote, "rather annoyed" that I didn't show up, and do I need a personal reminder every time we have studio. Granted, I told him at the beginning of the semester that I want to be pushed towards excellence... so in a way I brought this criticism on myself. The point is, in this degree program there is no room for error. I could share stories for an hour about instances where singers missed one note and were screamed at by conductors in front of 50 other musicians. It's excellence, and it stings.
I'm thankful for my non-music-major roommates who remind me that their departments are similar in pace and vigor. We agree that this level of performance is good, but we hate when older adults smack us with half-sympathetic smiles and winkey eyes and assure us that "at least real life hasn't started yet."
No, maybe "real life" hasn't started yet, but in my opinion, college is much more stressful.
We rush around in who knows what kind of weather (the past week has housed a 60 degree temperature range), participate in 7 different classes (i.e. learn 7 x 48 lectures per semester's worth of information), slave away at low-paying jobs, bend over backwards to please 7 different professors, beg strangers for tuition money, and oh, I don't know, live in poverty and eat tortillas and mustard 5 times a week.
I do it because I can see the benefit of my labors. An undergraduate degree will open many proverbial doors. However, at 55% completion status, I'm merely having a difficult time seeing the end of the track. I've always known that this would be hard, so don't tell me that it isn't.
I'm not sure how other colleges operate; I've heard a lot of rumors about hand-out degrees and "easy A's." Regardless of the means by which another student gains his or her degree, I will one day be able to say with honesty that I freaking earned this freaking degree by freaking working my freaking butt off. Freaking.
I don't work hard every day-- I believe in resting. I believe that it's good to have productive, focused, meaningful rest. I know that when I make myself write down everything in my mind before I go to bed, and that list exceeds 2 dozen items, it's time for rest. Today, I chose to skip my voice studio (which meets for 2 hours on Sunday afternoons) in order to rest, since it was to be followed by 5.5 hours of opera rehearsal. Later, I received a nasty, passive-aggressive email from my instructor who was, I quote, "rather annoyed" that I didn't show up, and do I need a personal reminder every time we have studio. Granted, I told him at the beginning of the semester that I want to be pushed towards excellence... so in a way I brought this criticism on myself. The point is, in this degree program there is no room for error. I could share stories for an hour about instances where singers missed one note and were screamed at by conductors in front of 50 other musicians. It's excellence, and it stings.
I'm thankful for my non-music-major roommates who remind me that their departments are similar in pace and vigor. We agree that this level of performance is good, but we hate when older adults smack us with half-sympathetic smiles and winkey eyes and assure us that "at least real life hasn't started yet."
No, maybe "real life" hasn't started yet, but in my opinion, college is much more stressful.
We rush around in who knows what kind of weather (the past week has housed a 60 degree temperature range), participate in 7 different classes (i.e. learn 7 x 48 lectures per semester's worth of information), slave away at low-paying jobs, bend over backwards to please 7 different professors, beg strangers for tuition money, and oh, I don't know, live in poverty and eat tortillas and mustard 5 times a week.
I do it because I can see the benefit of my labors. An undergraduate degree will open many proverbial doors. However, at 55% completion status, I'm merely having a difficult time seeing the end of the track. I've always known that this would be hard, so don't tell me that it isn't.
good thing you're not pregnant.
Your real life started many years ago when you were born. After graduation the challenges you face will be different from the ones you have now, but life is present and "real" at all times.