The stereotypical college student draws a mental picture involving a mug of beer, stacks of books, surrounded by a bunk bed, a sweatshirt with a university logo, a crate full of top ramen, and an empty wallet on the nightstand.
Whatever preconceived notions incoming freshman may have from popular films like Animal House and Van Wilder should be cast aside. There is not necessarily this great divide of students with über geeks on one side and party animals on the other.
The ideal college student is equal parts geek and partier. Sure, there are nights where you engage in social events and mingle with classmates coming back home between 3 and 5 a.m. However, there are also instances when you are just finishing papers at that same time, three hours before your first class starts. There will be times when a student has to turn down a party to study, but also moments when a student chooses to party instead of study to break up the monotony.
Responsibility is key and perhaps one of the most important lessons a student will learn in college. A student is responsible for their safety, work, finances, and success from here on out. So if he or she has to sacrifice a night out in order to make a dent in the 20-page term paper, a student should not feel as if it is the end of his or her social career. Besides, there are other ways in which students can interact with one another.
Technology is becoming a more popular choice for social connection on college campuses. The Student Monitor, a company that examines student life, recently conducted a study of 1,200 college students at over 100 institutions across the nation, according to AOL finance. The result was that 73 percent of students polled ranked the iPod as “in”, putting it at the top among a list of items. The student networking site facebook.com came in at second at 71 percent.
A student’s time at St. John’s comes down to this essential question: What purpose are certain individuals enrolled for? Whether it is for personal growth, the opportunity of a new level of learning, or simply for the benefit of having a college diploma regardless of the GPA, a student’s college experience is mostly up to them.
A student should not feel a burden to live up to anyone else’s expectations during their college career. Only be aware that he or she has the sole ability to make the most out of these four short years.