There are two extremes when it comes to how college students treat school.
One is the way too lackadaisical student who thinks life is a party and Seton Hall a night club. Going to college is actually not all about partying and making friends. Good times come as a perk, but we are all here to better our education and get the piece of paper that says we are worth something in the real world.
The other extreme is the student who eats, breathes, sleeps school work. Sure, take school seriously, but live a little. Make a few bad decisions, stay up all night for a reason other than studying and relax.
Both extremes are wrong.
Either you will end up flunking out of school and wasting a ton of money or you will end up stressed and harming yourself mentally and physically.
It is not the end of the world if you fail one test or get a C on one paper, people are meant to make mistakes. There's a limit to these mistakes, though. If you are failing every class because you're so caught up in a social life, then you should probably reconsider your life in general and find out if college is right for you.
College is important and you should spend time studying and doing work, but you should also not allow yourself to think college is your entire life. Don't get consumed in your work to the point where you can't have fun at all. Life is only going to get harder, so if you think college is difficult, the real world is going to eat you up and spit you out.
Just always remember the most important things in life. All of them. Family, friends, dedication, a career you love, being the person you love. Don't leave out any of these components because they all make up your life and all deserve the proper balance.
Make good decisions, kids.
Lindsay Rittenhouse is a junior journalism major from Howell, N.J. She can be reached at lindsay.rittenhouse@student.shu.edu.