I have decided to end the semester on a high note. I haven’t done much academic work in a while and my class skipping rate has skyrocketed. But I’m not worried; I am going to get through unscathed. You may wonder just how exactly I am going to do this. Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for you.
Many movie montages and character monologues will tell you life keeps moving; it is your job to watch it unfold and determine where you fit in. In rushing around like a good college student—being active on campus and doing more than just going to class—I have found I am trying to do exactly that. By watching what other people do and understanding what one is supposed to do in college, I am following in the footsteps of the proverbial college student.
Whether we intended to or not, many of us celebrated Earth Day this past Sunday by simply spending some time outdoors in the fresh spring air. Perhaps you looked at a tree and thought, rather introspectively, “I appreciate you.” Others of you might have cried a tear for polar bears that no longer have ice to hang out on. I celebrated Earth Day by taking a walk through the University of Wisconsin’s Arboretum and exploring nature. I underwent this adventure with my patient boyfriend who fortunately had a nature observation to write for his biology class (#collegehomework?). The following is our encounter with the real world:
You hear it hundreds of times before you come to college: “Watch out for the ‘Freshman Fifteen.’” This sentence is always uttered by well-meaning, “been there, done that”-type personalities, people who like to imply that they know more than you because they graduated college before the turn of the century. What these people are referring to is the imminent and rapid onset of body fat due to increased consumption of beer, chasers and late night Juston sticks. The idea you could have pizza for nearly every meal of your freshman existence is just too much for some people to restrain themselves (myself included). As a result, this all too common affliction creates beer bellies on formerly fit football jocks and puts lovely love handles on ladies; handles that will not look cute in even the blackest of LBDs.I believe wholeheartedly the fear of the “Freshman Fifteen” is what keeps the SERF alive and well all year ‘round.
What are you doing for break? This is the question everyone asks and everyone gets asked, but not everyone has the same response. Here is my take on what constitutes the classic, college spring break.
When the sun comes out prematurely, and it is 50-plus degrees for multiple days in a row, Madison’s citizens undergo a change. Rising out of their winter parkas and crew neck sweatshirts, people from all corners of campus venture over to the Memorial Union Terrace to soak in the sun’s rays.
One day, while trying to avoid doing my homework, I thought it would be a good idea to be a better citizen of these United States by paying more attention to the news. Instead of just watching the celebrity interviews on “Good Morning America” or getting the days headlines from “Live! with Kelly,” I was going to seek out quality, informative news content.
Because of our society’s current obsession with documenting our lives using social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.), I sometimes wonder whether our interest in these social tactics will one day fade away, joining AOL profiles and datebooks in the communicative methods cemetary.
I was told recently that my past columns have been “complain-y,” and while it sucks to hear that you sound like a sore loser, I am going to take the criticism and run with it. This time around, I am going for a spin on the happy side and we will see what happens.
Let me fill you in on my most recent revelation: Something happens to me when I am picking my seat on the 80 or when I am choosing what table to study at in the library. In fact, if you observe with great detail, you may be able to see this inconvenient phenomenon present in most situations in my life. But what, exactly, is it that is happening here?
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