Ben Copeland
High School Graduate of 2010
Attending North Central Texas College
Take it Easy
Passing words of advice
FOR INSTANCE: Living.
One of the things at the forefront of our mind regarding the great leap into freshmanhood is simple but terrifying: “Where am I going to live?’ For many, the answer is as simple as enrolling in your dream university and moving into an assigned dorm room. Not that adapting to living with a possible stranger in what is probably the smallest room you’ve ever been in isn’t challenging, but for he/she who isn’t going straight into a university, and who must find a place on their own, things can be a bit more tricky than figuring out how to situate the furniture.
For those who just aren’t sure which school fits them well, and would rather start off cheap and small in the achievement of their scholarly dreams, I say bravo. Choosing the path less traveled- Two year community colleges- will save you(r parents) money, save you the time of deciding which fraternity to rush, and show you that making a life on your own is both strengthening and scary. I say scary because finding your own place can be just that; but once you get past the shellshock of leaving mommy’s room back in Decatur, things start to fall into place.
Assuming the semester is paid for, and even some unnamed parental entity is helping with the first semester’s apartment. It’s still a safe bet to find a good part time job. Not one that will take time away from your studying, and not one that will bore you to tears and uselessly fill time. Working in any college town can be fun, and will be beneficial, so look for that store/reastaurant/whatever that looks like it can help you out, and be helped out by you. Even if it’s nothing serious, a job is a perfect way to integrate yourself into real life, and working will show you how rewarding it can be to become self-sufficient.
In closing, as late teens and twenty-somethings, our greatest enemy is boredom. We fight it day in and day out, and sometimes create excuses and circumstances that force us into inactivity, and we blame boredom. The best thing you can be is active. Do what feels right, and know that there’s time for the rest.