The beginning of college is all about living on your own for the first time, meeting new friends and experiencing all that college has to offer. From spending Saturdays in Williams Brice to late nights at Cook Out, the first years are all about the carefree memories.
Unfortunately, at some point things start getting serious. Professors get meaner, coffee gets weaker and the sun stops shining. At least, some days it feels like that. This unfortunate condition is known as the mid-college crisis because waiting until 45 to have a life crisis is simply not reasonable.
Trying to keep the morale high while balancing school, organizations and a job seems basically impossible. Some days there’s not enough time to get everything done. The best solution always seems to be a long nap which results in more unproductive time and none of your responsibilities disappeared. Oh well, another cup of coffee won’t hurt, right?
A mid-college crisis isn’t complete without the stressful thought of changing your major. One day in the middle of a biology class you decide you would rather be an elementary school teacher. The life decision you made at 18 looks a little different now. Then, you realize you will end up graduating three years late and decide it’s not worth it.
As much as general education classes are complained about, most of the time they are the easiest classes and GPA savers. Environmental 101 is appreciated once you’re sitting in an upper level class where the final grade rides on a midterm and final only.
Then, there’s the added stress of finding an internship, networking, doing research or anything else to put your name out there because after college it would be great to have a job. So, GPAs actually don’t actually matter?
For most students, living off campus means cooking their own meals, which usually is disastrous. After attempting a Pinterest recipe and setting off the smoke alarm again, you end up settling for the frozen pizza that’s been in the freezer a few months too long. Yes, the tomato sauce makes it healthy.
At some point in your mid-college crisis, you will realize that there are only a few semesters left of college and you begin feeling sentimental about everything. Trying to find a parking meter becomes your new favorite hobby. Okay, that might be too far. But, all of the small stressors don’t compare to the memories made. Just like what Macklemore says, “Someday soon, your whole life’s gonna change.You’ll miss the magic of these good old days.” Cue the tears because the four years of college are something special.
The best lesson from the mid-college crisis is there’s beauty in all stages of college. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember you are where you’re meant to be and all of the craziness will pay off. Soak up all of the enjoyable moments and laugh at your failed “adulting” attempts.