Mental Fundamentals

Sitting at the kitchen counter in my apartment this morning, munching on an English muffin with strawberry jam, I thought to myself: “Hmm. If only I had a Post-Dispatch in hand this morning.”

Why, yes, it is my senior year of college. And I’m getting “old.” I could only hope to say “sophisticated,” so I’ll stick with “old.”

And while I could go on and on about the elements of routine first-day-back-to-school sentiments, I’ll refrain. Because here’s what I figure: Each year I’m getting older and learning more, whether I’m in school or not. So I could adorn a desk with neat packages of G2 pens and spend too much money on books, but still look forward to indulging in a little thing I like to call “learning.”

I mean, that’s what an education is for. It isn’t about the locker mirrors or the comforter for your dorm bedroom or even the weight of your backpack. It’s to soak up information so you can recall it in situations and be successful.

Several times throughout our crazy Welcome Weekend we just experienced, I ran around thinking thoughts faster than I could comprehend them entirely. I would take a look at the clock on my cell phone, and 30 seconds later, I would have to look again because I completely forgot what it had said at all.

Every time this happened, I thought of this verse:

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” – James 1:23-25

Are we in such a rush, consumed with so much, that we forget what we’re actually doing? I have felt that way: functioning, but not really functional.

I do believe we over-communicate. We push, we pull, we ask, we request, we reply, we text, we email, we Facebook, we tweet, we watch, we write. But do we learn? Are we taking into account our surroundings and what we’re consuming, or are we scrolling through pages to get by with the minimum? Or worse – forgetting everything?

I like to learn. I like history, I like images, I like creating things. But if I’m doing what everyone else wants me to do and not what God has taught me, then it really is just another thing to check off the to-do list.

For those newcomers out there, here are some things I’ve learned from college:

1. Definitely for sure always show up to class. It doesn’t matter how lazy you feel, it seems like it’s always less work to actually attend the class the first time around. To me, the freak who has nightmares about being tardy. Trust me: I’ve never skipped a class. I even tried to once, and failed because the class was cancelled anyway. Ferris Bueller may have had it good, but he wasn’t paying to go to college yet.
2. Homework first, play later. It isn’t as dreadful if you just do it, get it out of the way and stop worrying about it. Then you can pop in whichever season of “The Big Bang Theory” you want.
3. Coffee is good, sleep is better. Staying up late has to happen sometimes in order to get things finished, but when you have a choice between staying up for no reason and just hitting the hay, go with the latter.
4. Eat. A lot of times I get to be so busy I forget to eat lunch or something. You know, a whole meal. Pack some snacks and eat when the opportunity presents itself, even if you don’t want to drop everything you’re doing. This is something I am still working on.
5. Grades matter. Working hard is worth it. I promise.
6. Make friends. We all need people we can strike up a Starbucks date with or grab a bite to eat. As much of an introvert as I am and admire alone time, I still have to get out and, you know, interact with human beings. Pick them, and pick them good. Then make sure you’re giving back to them as a friend and not just taking.
7. Events are fun, and there’s probably free food involved. Working in our Student Activities office, we are always looking for things to do for every kind of student. It really can’t hurt to get involved and attend things once in awhile, even if you’re not super stoked about it. Find a friend and go!
8. Two words: Wi-Fi. The Internet is a wonderful thing, but not during class when your teacher is trying to teach you. As boring as some class periods can be, don’t tempt yourself with having unnecessary windows open on your laptop. I still prefer to take notes in an actual notebook so the distraction isn’t even there. Likewise, the last-minute flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants oops-I-need-to-turn-in-my-paper-online stuff isn’t worth the stress. Find some strong Wi-Fi, turn it in and get ‘er done.
9. Teachers are there for a reason. Again, as much as you may not care for a specific professor, he or she is there to teach you. Think about the situation before you complain about an instructor: Am I not getting this because I’m not listening and trying, or is it really all my teacher’s fault? It can never hurt to ask for extra help, from the instructor or a tutor or a friend who knows their stuff.
10. It’s expensive, so don’t waste your time and money. We all know that college costs a lot of money. Skipping class, missing deadlines and all those other scintillating happenstances are ultimately wasting your time in the long run. Keep a planner or write out somehow what you need to do, do what you have to in order to finish it at its best, and then go play that pick-up game of basketball.

That’s what I’ve learned. Maybe it’ll help.