My friend Stephanie recently tagged me as the NYT building on Facebook.
5th grade was undoubtedly the most defining year of my life. By the end of the year Rachel Carson had become my mentor, meat was officially out of my diet and The New York Times was my newfound addiction.
Sometimes I think The New York Times knows my friends and me too well. And oftentimes, by the end of the day, articles have appeared in the email inboxes of my friends and family, along with my Facebook status. Don’t believe me? Well let’s just say…
That article about growing yeast in Brooklyn? Dad.
That one about buying a house in Cambodia? Friend.
That one about the Yankees’ photographer? Mom.
That article about a 12-foot-tall sculpture’s lower region? Friend.
That one about a girl from New Jersey running off to Nepal? Facebook.
And that one about the best advice to give a college student? Blog.
And so, whether a current student or a prospective student, I suggest all of you read this article: Ditch Your Laptop, Dump Your Boyfriend – an “advice for freshmen” op-ed written by four PhD students.
But if you’re not going to click on the link, then here are the highlights that you should take away:
1. Explore. “Take classes in many different subjects before picking your major…. Make friends with people who grew up much poorer than you, and others much richer. Date someone of a different race or religion. (And no, hooking up at a party doesn’t count.) Spend a semester abroad or save up and go backpacking in Europe or Asia.”
2. Lead. “It may seem crazy, but it was running a dinky club that set me on the path to seeing myself as someone who could run a business.”
3. Explore some more. “Remember to take some time away from campus — from the demands of schoolwork and the trappings of the college social life. Explore the town you’re living in. Meet people who are not professors or fellow students.
4. Research. “Most important: research experience shows you how knowledge is produced. There are worse ways to prepare for life in an information age.”
5. Ditch your laptop. “After all, you have the rest of your life to hide behind a screen during meetings.
6. Relax. “But be comfortable with the fact that you don’t know anything. Nobody does…. Relax and enjoy the ride.”
7. Break up. “We ended up getting back together and staying together through the rest of college. But we had to break up first.”
8. (And an extra that I made for myself lay off The New York Times.)
And of course there's always SAAB to make me happy.
This is the best advice I’ve ever gotten and it’s changed the way I’ve approached my senior year.
The honest truth is that I’m currently sitting in the library on a Friday night. My phone is dead. I have no internet in my room. I’m single for the first time in over five years. I’m waking up at 8:30 to volunteer for admissions, so that I can spend the rest of the morning exploring an urban farm in Baltimore taking photos. Photos? Yes, for one of my six classes in six different departments that has forced me to explore and discover Baltimore. This will be followed by an evening with friends and research for my thesis, because I too don’t know anything.
Yes, I’ll be the first to admit that my senior year is a bit crazy and in no way do I think I’ve gone through college perfectly. In fact, it’s taken me three years to realize what being happy at college feels like. It feels like this.
And that is why you too should read The New York Times.
Until next time,
Jessica
Jess, I love this entry! And the NYT article!!!
Also, I’m doing work on a friday night, but taking a break from M Level!
You are wonderful, and it makes me happy that you are happy :) And also that you’re such a NYT nerd.
Aww, that op-ed is so spot-on, and that SAAB photo is so cute! :)
You have such a wonderful outlook. Yay senior year!
You’re awesome and so is this blog entry. I’ve been feeling like I’m missing some things that could be making my time here much more defining….glad to see I’m not alone! Much love :))))