With Spring Break behind us, it’s all downhill from here. There is nothing to get in the way of us heading into finals and finishing up the semester. It’s exciting, isn’t it? Well, maybe for seniors.
I found out, literally, this week that I will be graduating this fall; the end, or rather the beginning, for me is in sight. The same is true for many seniors as we prepare to enter the real world and all of it’s glorious frustrations and rewards. But when I step out of the college world and into the professional world I will be leaving something very dear to me behind.
For the last three and a half years, I have dedicated my out-of-class time to The Lion’s Roar Newspaper and I will be sad to eventually leave it. However, if it were not for my work here, I would never have been prepared to meet and overcome the challenges that they don’t teach you about in the classroom. I have a resume with experience, not just an education, right out of college; not many soon-to-be graduates can say that. But my time at the newspaper is relatively unimportant; what are you going to get out of reading this? As always, in my opinion, sound advice: leave something behind.
We, the editorial and reporting staff of The Lion’s Roar, tirelessly work to bring the student body every scrap of useful information that we can get our paws on. But all of our work is in vain if you, the audience, do not pick up the paper on Tuesday morning, read it and act on the information according to your conscience. How do you act? You get involved.
By becoming involved, you get more out of Southeastern than what it offers in the classroom; you get a valuable and genuine experience. You make friends and contacts that will last. You are presented with opportunities that “normal,” or as I say “boring,” students don’t get. You don’t want to be boring. It sucks and it makes college life last seemingly forever.
But it isn’t for everyone, like my father. He graduated from Southeastern in Fall 2009 at the age of 42, like many non-traditional students. He was working and had to be with his family in addition to going to class. Getting involved when your plate is already full is not a good idea and, that being said, I know a few students that need to become un-involved; everything is better in moderation.
As with all things in life, going through higher education requires balance if it’s to be successful. How can you tell if it’s successful? Ask yourself: if you leave everything on this campus behind, will you be saddened to go? If the answer is yes, than you have had a successful college career.