So you know how some people seem to be really anxious to graduate? I used to be a little bit like this, before I received my real world education at an internship this summer. Do not get me wrong, I love most things about Harding, and I find contentment fairly easily no matter where I go. The reasons I thought I was ready to graduate did not have so much to do with my experience at Harding as it did with my expectations for life after college.
The first big expectation I had regarding life after graduation had everything to do with location. It happens to many poor souls who travel to Searcy; the small-town blues. If you are a freshman, you are either instantly plagued with them, or are just now being affected. If you are like me and a senior, you are either chronically unable to deal with them or have finally learned to cope.
Up until this year, I always thought I would be the latter. As it turns out, location does not make near as much of a difference as you would think. I had an internship in Little Rock, which is not exactly Paris, but it sure is not Searcy. There is a sizable downtown area, and some places stay open past midnight. Here is the problem with working a real job: you do not generally want to stay up past midnight, because you have to wake up early. So regardless of location, if you work eight hours a day, as opposed to going to class for four or five, you get really tired. So tired that going to bed at nine or ten is not such a foreign notion anymore.
The next big wake up call for me in the real world has to do with social life. Shockingly, the world is not filled with generally pleasant college students. I once went almost an entire two weeks without seeing a single person my age. Now, I do realize part of this problem was caused by my own lack of socialization, but no matter how anti-social I am on campus, I am always within 10 feet of someone in their 20s. Some of my co-workers were young as well, but they seemed so much older than me. It was like they were the 30-year-olds in the sitcoms playing high school kids, and I was actually in high school. After a while, I began to miss being surrounded by peers more than I ever thought possible.
The absolute worst part of life after Harding is definitely the housing. Before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. I lived in Allen Hall for three years, so my standard of living is probably much different than most normal humans. I lived at home with my parents this summer, which was great, but also not what I was used to. Like me, my parents work full-time jobs so they go to bed early. Needless to say, they were not ever really keen on the idea of going on Taco Bell runs at 11:45 p.m. Where else but at Harding will you ever have the opportunity to live in the same structure with a large group of friends who care just as little about regular sleeping patterns as you do? Dorm life at Harding is one of the things that make this campus so unique, and it’s a strange adjustment to return to normal living.
All that being said, I had a great summer, and there are a ton of great things about life after graduation. The main thing I learned though, was to live it up during my last year of college. I am going to treasure the time I have with friends, professors and anyone else who can stand to be in my presence. Instead of making me ready to throw off my cap and gown and run for greener pastures, this summer made me realize that maybe you really do not know what you’ve got until it is gone.
Luckily for me, I still have some time to make sure I do not waste any more time wishing my time in college away.
