Freshman year starts off with unrealistic expectations and continues to present impossible standards to meet throughout the entire year. From the idea that you will find your BFF the very first week of school, to finding your husband-worthy boyfriend, to getting the perfect schedule and absolutely loving all your classes – freshman year comes with a lot of highly anticipated “perfect” experiences.
So it’s no surprise that after being told by everyone we would absolutely love the football scene in the fall, that now that it’s almost spring (melt snow please!) that everyone cannot stop gushing about Marathon Monday. It seems that I cannot go a day without receiving an email about purchasing a tank top, overhearing conversations about people’s drinking plans, or a friend asking me if I am SO EXCITED for Marathon Monday.
While I am looking forward to a day off from classes and time to bond with my friends, I can’t help but wonder if this is another event that everyone boasts about so much that it sucks the fun out of it. It’s kind of like when you go to see a movie that everyone claims is the best movie ever, and even if it’s good you can’t seem to enjoy it because you had unrealistic expectations for it.
The hype around Marathon Monday is especially bad when basically every upperclassmen refers to it as the best day of their freshman year. I’ve been told by people of every grade that no matter how they felt about their freshman year before Marathon Monday that afterward they absolutely loved BC and couldn’t imagine having to graduate in three years. That’s a lot of pressure on one day.
At first when I heard all of this I was super pumped because as I suggested in my article “Is BC Right For Me,” I didn’t have the smoothest of transitions this year. Therefore, I couldn’t help but love the idea that no matter where I was at I would all the sudden fall in love with BC on Marathon Monday. That being said, after thinking about it, I realized that I would be setting myself up for failure.
I realized I needed to see Marathon Monday for what it really is – an opportunity. Marathon Monday is not a guarantee of an amazing time, but it provides the ability for a great time. So in the end, I am looking forward to bonding with my school, supporting BC students running, and honoring Boston as a community, especially after the tragic events of last year.
So I hope you will join me, in my matching Marathon Monday tank, supporting our community later in April and give yourself the chance to bond with our student body. That being said, keep calm and know it’s just one day. If you get sick, have a midterm, or just need a me day – take it. No one can define your college experience, but you.
Photo Sources:
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/ss/Choosing-The-Perfect-College.htm
http://bcgavel.com/2013/12/18/bc-conversations-calendar/
http://myhighalpine.com/2014/12/12/friday-favorites-3-high-alpine/
http://www.yayhormones.com/high-expectations/
http://www.hercampus.com/school/bc/bc-right-me
https://aliaqatarneh.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/bostonstrong.jpg