Don’t press pause

Hopefully something, because otherwise it will be really dull around here.

Year after year, September rolls around and many students go back to school resolved to get through it so they can graduate and start their fantastic futures.

That’s great, but why do people tend view school as the stopgap to life?

Here’s the truth, team. You can still live your life while you’re going to school. You can accomplish your goals right now, not four or five years down the road.

You can even make amazing contributions to society, contrary to the most conservative views of education. Don’t neglect the causes that are near to your heart and the hobbies and skills that bring you pleasure.

Maybe you can join a club. This institution has lots of them and many are formed with the intention of a promoting a higher purpose of existence. Others are fun, relaxing and a great chance to meet people with similar interests.

Perhaps you can donate your time to volunteer. There are several agencies that always welcome free labour and allegedly offer fuzzy feelings of accomplishment in helping your fellow man or woman. At the very least it has to be better than a Big Bang Theory rerun.

Do you want to get active and make friends? Try the intramurals. There’s more than just hockey to choose from (inner tube water polo, anyone?) Also, they have very inviting posters with smiling people on them. You could be one of those smiles.

What we’re trying to say is just do something. Getting hammered and writing exams hung-over happens, but do you want to say that’s all you did in university? There are so many things that make you feel less like a lump of gooey, moist garbage. Want to know what happens when you do things? You smile more, and not just for intramural posters.

Actually, everyone you see seems to smile more and life seems to flow much better. So what we’re really saying is do something more then party and get through university.

Find a world to live in now and stop waiting for it.