College Life in Bloomington, Essay Example

Parties, parties, and more parties should be the life of a college student, right? The one thing that constantly kept coming up for me was the fact that I was to up tight. I was constantly told that I need to have fun, enjoy my college experience, and seize the day. At first this bothered me because I felt my parents had instilled values and standards so deeply into me that I would not be able to function in college. However, later I realized that because of the standards and values they had taught me, I could live anywhere and be successful. Seizing the day means living in the moment. Often we make promises to ourselves that that we will do something tomorrow or next week. Most times we must decide what is important to us at the time. I find myself not having time for what I really want to do because I have some much other stuff to do that is more important at the moment. Seizing the day and living life to the fullest sounds like a great way to live life, but there are some drawbacks to this lifestyle as well. Nonetheless, it can be successfully done if one makes wise choices. Living a life according to carpe diem can have both positive and negative effects.

People have often told me that I am too uptight and that I need to loosen up and live a little. This has been a difficult task for me because I have friends who have lived on both sides of the concept of carpe diem. On the outside, it seems like people who seize the moment have a great time. I have a friend that has been my friend for several years. She does everything spurt of the moment and never plans for anything. Being young, most people say that is how you should live. She is also a procrastinator; she waits until the last minute to do everything. Having fun always comes first to her. As a student, she maintains a descent average, but if she put more time into her studies she could be an exceptional student. Nevertheless, we balance each other by telling each other when we need to tighten up or slack up. We learned boundaries with each other. She knows that there are some areas that I will not deviate in, and I know that there are some areas she will not deviate in. We recommend and suggest things to each other, but we do not push the other too much. We have learned to respect each other differences and become great friends.

Up until this point in my college career, things like what I mentioned were the most important to me. I like to refer to this section as finding love. However, one day I say him. I was in the cafeteria for lunch with a group of friends and he was standing at the salad bar. As my girlfriends talked, it all sounded like blablabla because my eyes were glued on this guy. I had never seen him before, but it was like I knew him all my life. I usually fix something from the salad bar, but I too afraid to go over there with him standing there. At some point, my friends realized that they were no longer the center of my attention and they began looking at him as well. I felt so giddy, like a middle school girl. I had never experienced such a feeling. My heart was pounding the way it did the first day I arrived on campus. While in middle school I had a few crushes and in high school I had dated a guy somewhat off and off, but the feelings I had now were indescribable. My friends tried to convince me to go over and say something to him, but I was just too scared. So, I missed lunch that day. I was too afraid to go over and say something to him and too embarrassed to eat my own lunch.

Just as he was about to walk out of the door, one of my friends popped up from the table and went after him like he was a runaway poodle. She didn’t even ask me if I wanted her to go talk to him for me. I watched nervously as she stood with her back to me talking to him. After a few seconds, I saw him look over towards my table. I quickly looked down at my plate and began forking around mounds of uneaten food. Just as quickly, she came rushing back to the table and said, “He gave me his phone number for you.” Inside I was screaming yes, but now I was deathly afraid because I knew that meant I would have to call him. I took a quick glance at the number and stored it in my pocket as quickly as I could. We sat there a few minutes discussing what I would say to him when I called… if I called. When we left the cafeteria, we all went our separate ways to our various classes. Walking to my class, the phone number in my pocket seemed to weigh 15 pounds. I checked my pocket several times to ensure that it was still safely tucked away in my blue jeans pocket. Later that afternoon, after starting to dial the number and hanging up several times, I finally called. Much to my surprise, he answered and said he was waiting for my call. I laughed nervously. We talked for a few minutes and he asked me if we could meet at little café on campus.

That evening we meet and talked for about an hour. I was in love… I was sure I had never felt anything like this before. It had to be love. From that day, we talked several times a day and went places together any time we could. I was so happy. Where I had been so uptight and shy, I became loose and willing to speak out. Not only did I love him, he had become my best friend. We would message each other in the morning before class and at night before I finally fell asleep. The world wind of romance went on for several months, but eventually we both recognized that there was a great conflict between us. We both were different majors and making time for each other was costing us our grades. We were on the same campus, but it seemed as if we were on different worlds. Our paths never had to cross unless it was intentional. Eventually we decided to part ways and try to focus more on our studies.

I like to call this part the “Great Depression”. I was so very sad that we could not be together any longer. For three days I stayed in bed. I could not eat or sleep. I was too weak to get up and take a shower. What had happened to me? For two months I had been on top of the world, but now it seemed the world was on top of me and it was too heavy to be moved. My friends questioned me about my sudden change in behavior and I explained to them that I was just so unhappy. They would call and I would not answer. They would come by the room, but I refused to go to the door. Before I knew it, those three days had turned into a week and then a month. By the time I was finally able to pull myself together, I had failed the entire semester. I had been in the darkest place of my life and my friends were able to pull me back to reality.

Seize the day, but with discretion. I believe carpe diem must be used in moderation and with good judgment. I jumped into the relationship head first and neglected everyone and everything else that was a part of my everyday life. My parents were not even aware of the fact that I was dating someone. Now, I’m not saying you have to tell your parents everything, but they are a good source of advice.  It is always fun to live a little and enjoy life. However, I believe that life is too important to make needless mistakes. As young adults, we have to be guided by adults who have made mistakes and learned from them. They are then able to help us make the best decisions in life. When we make good decisions as young adults that will ensure that our future is productive and successful. Laying a positive foundation for the future is so important today. Honestly, the foundation that we lay today will determine if we will be able to seize the moment as adults.

The experiences and choices I have made in college have shaped the way I view myself and my family now. More important that carrying on a family traditions, families should try to instill values in all of the members. Values are things that are taught through doing, not just telling. Values are much different from beliefs or choices. When parents instill values in their children, they are assuring that their children will make good choices regardless to the circumstances. If making the right choice means that one many not be popular or successful, a person with values will be unwavering.  By teaching one’s children this, one is guaranteeing that that child will most likely live a happy life because leading a life that is consistent with one’s values is optimal for happiness.  I leave you with trust your parents; they have your best interest in mind. Even when I didn’t think this was so, I learned later that it was. Have fun, live life to the fullest, but make wise decisions by taking your time.

My friends showed up one day at my door and knocked until I dragged from the bed and went to the door. They rushed in nearly knocking me to the floor. They were asking me what was wrong and what could they do to help me. One friend even threatened to call my parents if I did not snap out of it. They literally forced me into the shower and combed my hair and dressed me to go out of the room. When I walked out of the room, the sun was like a new creature to me. It shone so brightly that I could not look at it directly. It was as if I had arrived on campus again for the first time. They reminded me how important school was to me and the reasons why I was there in the first place. They showed me tough love, yet it was still love. When I think back to this moment, I know that I would not have made it without the friends I had. One of my friends escorted me to a campus counselor and I poured out my heart literally. When I left that office, I felt that the heavy burden I was carrying had been removed. Walking back to my room, I looked directly up at the sun and it was as if it smiled on me. Yet, I knew I had so much work to do in order to gather my life back up and try to salvage the rest of my college career. The next semester I came in full of force and ready to make up for the time I lost hiding in my room. I enjoyed my friends and I studied hard. However, I balanced the two. I made new friends and still spent time with family. To me, carpe diem is living in balance of things that make you happy.