Now With ... Tunnel Vision!
Everyone has it sometimes. I went into college determined to keep away from it. And my entire freshman year, I was successful at keeping away from it, leading to my sub-3.0 GPA my freshman year. That thing is focus. I went into college coasting, in effect, the way I feel I had through high school. I received a two-semester wake-up call in the form of heated arguments with my dad over the importance of GPA (I still assert that it is only minimally important).
Sophomore year I began to focus more on schoolwork and later a girlfriend, and those two things became my college experience until second semester of my senior year. Somewhere in there I had the realization that I had gotten tunnel vision, and ignored the things and people around me. This belief was affirmed when I returned to Miami last weekend for homecoming and the memories flooded in. Over the course of two years of my undergraduate career, I had lost perspective. I had lost the ability to recognize that the exam I was stressing over or that group project that I bitched into Michelle's ear for an hour about weren't really that important. But I will always laugh when I relate the story of my roommate taking "study showers." Whether I got an A or a B on that project wouldn't keep me from a job or graduate school. And it didn't.
This time around, I'm trying to make a more concerted effort to keep things in perspective; to not allow myself to get bent out of shape about that paper due next week or that group presentation the day after. After all, it's just a paper. It's just a presentation. These things are all only very small parts of the sum of the experiences that make an individual, so why waste time worrying? There are much more fun things to be doing with spare time, and I intend to find them.
Live each day as if it is your last...
Sophomore year I began to focus more on schoolwork and later a girlfriend, and those two things became my college experience until second semester of my senior year. Somewhere in there I had the realization that I had gotten tunnel vision, and ignored the things and people around me. This belief was affirmed when I returned to Miami last weekend for homecoming and the memories flooded in. Over the course of two years of my undergraduate career, I had lost perspective. I had lost the ability to recognize that the exam I was stressing over or that group project that I bitched into Michelle's ear for an hour about weren't really that important. But I will always laugh when I relate the story of my roommate taking "study showers." Whether I got an A or a B on that project wouldn't keep me from a job or graduate school. And it didn't.
This time around, I'm trying to make a more concerted effort to keep things in perspective; to not allow myself to get bent out of shape about that paper due next week or that group presentation the day after. After all, it's just a paper. It's just a presentation. These things are all only very small parts of the sum of the experiences that make an individual, so why waste time worrying? There are much more fun things to be doing with spare time, and I intend to find them.
Live each day as if it is your last...
posted by Brad at
12:50 AM
13 Comments:
Success is a very subjective thing. As I progress through college (and now reach the end of it) I try to pin down what I've actually learned, beyond just basic knowledge.
1.) Grades mean nothing. Especially for artists. Some of the dumbest people I know are honor students.
2.) If you don't like what you're doing, change what you're doing. You cannot be successful if your heart isn't in it.
3.)Focus on small goals, not big ones. The big picture can cause fatigue, second-guessing, and apathy. Small goals keep you focused, and ultimately lead to the big goal.
4)Decide what you want; not what society, culture, family wants for you. Your life is your own little gift, and when it comes down to it, you are the only one that really cares about it. All parents really care about is your health. The pressures of achieving greatness or filling shoes are wasted energy.
5.)Keep to your values, never sell-out, know your principles, stick to them. The internet and 24 hour news media keeps blasting news and information at you constantly, and it's impossible to really keep up (or keep sane). Focus on what you can do in a micro-scale, decide what's important.
6.)Listen and reach out to others. Tolerance is important, crucial for learning. You don't have to agree or accept their opinions, but you have an obligation to understand them.
7.)Don't procrastinate/be punctual. Which means, I've got to get to work right now, or else this point is bullshit.
Seeya later
Wow, fantastic points guys. Steve, in regards to your statements, I agree with every one of them, although I have to say I feel like it has been really hard sometimes to keep my standards and values up, because I feel they are in conflict with what society and the media tells us are the right ones to have (including voting Bush). Other than that, those are all great points.
Fred, sounds as though you and I had very similar experiences, although I didn't earn an award! Don't give up hope of entering law school without perspective, because I think you'll have that perspective having been removed from school for a year. Your task may be even more daunting though because I imagine the environment is even more intense in law school.
About high school, I think that whole AP system is a load of bullshit. We learned the same things as the non-AP global studies class but we had to write "book reviews" or whatever the hell he called them. And let me tell you, I don't even remember the name of the first book I wrote on, let alone what it said. Why? Because I have NOT NEEDED IT. You're absolutely right, Fred, that aspect of high school is an absolute sham. I'm just glad we're on to bigger and better things.
Let's kill Sarah. One, two, three, NOW!
I second Steve's call to action...Sarah clearly DOES NOT have things in perspective.
who the hell is Sarah and how did she get here? Motion approved for killing, by the way, although I do want an iPod!
I lived my life according the bible of Tom Petty.
"I've learned one thing, and that's to quit worrying about stupid things. You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You'll never remember class time, but you'll remember time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So stay out late, damn it. Go out on a Tuesday with your friends when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink until sunrise. The work never ends, but college does."~Tom Petty
Thats why I decided I wasnt ready for the real world.
Thank you Failor!!
I have seen that quote so many times and I always wondered who said it. I feel like I'm putting off "the real world" too. Just hope its not like the show!
Woah, what's with the slacker manifesto? I obviously think fun and work can and need to be balanced.
I have a concern that in college, as we are molding into adults, we're forming our principles, and ultimately, habits. Forming slacker habits now will be hard to shake off later. Some people never grow up.
Plus, I have something called "tuition guilt." College has been mostly free for me. I think I've got a duty to work hard.
Steve,
It's not that don't believe in work, it's just that I don't want projects and papers get the better of me like they did a few years ago. Hopefully this go-around will find me not getting bent out of shape the night before an exam, etc.
I was just laughing at the Tom Petty quote.
I just finished a great book, "Liar's Poker" by Michael Lewis, and well i guess you have to be a finance guy to like it.
But anyways, in the book he was talking about the mortage desk at Saloman Brothers, and telling stories about how these guys would trade all day jump in the company helicopter after the day was over and fly to atlantic city, gamble all night there and fly back just in time to start the next trading day. Ahhh, now thats fun.
Failor,
HOW CAN YOU READ THAT MAN'S LIES?????? After writing a terrible book such as "Moneyball", how can you turn around and support him?????? Stick to your guns!!
Hehehehe. He ruled Salomen for a year and a half. He never ruled baseball.
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