2008 Woodie Awards
Semester back has gone well
Not sure what to expect after taking time away from CMU
By: Kameel Stanley
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Voices
- Page 1 of 1
Sixteen weeks ago, I was convinced my life might be over.
Honestly, I was not looking forward to the start of the year, nor was I all that thrilled to return to Mount Pleasant.
Why the great aversion to life as a student?
No, it wasn't because I hate school or that I was nervous about making certain grades.
And no, I'm not one of those anti-social people who hides out from society.
Simply put, I just didn't know what to expect from this semester.
Last year around this time, I made a semi-drastic decision - to leave CMU.
Instead of carrying out my sophomore year in the same pattern that thousands of other students do, I decided to cut it short and hightail it west.
I had good reasons.
Around Thanksgiving, I got the opportunity to move to move to Grand Rapids to do an internship at the local newspaper there. After that, I moved to Florida to do the same thing all over again at another paper.
Looking back, I can honestly say that I wouldn't change anything.
Both internships were invaluable.
But throughout both experiences, one thing became clear: I missed college, but not the school part.
Although I had certainly missed my friends and the interaction with people closer to my age, coming back to life as a student did seem daunting.
And I won't lie, coming back to school has been a transition.
The first day of classes was a near-disaster on many different levels. I lost my schedule, forgot to buy a parking pass and hadn't even thought about books. Some friends even joked that I resembled a scatterbrained freshman rather than someone accustomed to college life.
Being out in the "real world" for nine months had changed me.
Now, several exams, projects and papers later, I know that being away from college helped me appreciate it more when I returned.
And although it wasn't on any test I took or any paper I had to write, I have learned another thing.
Taking time off school is one of the smartest things I've done so far at CMU.
The skills I got before I left helped prepare me for my brief taste of the "real world." Likewise, the time away helped me refocus when I came back.
Whether it's taking a semester to go to Spain on a study abroad trip, or working your butt off at a company you think you might work for someday, it never hurts to take a new look at life by flipping your perception upside down.
Besides, it's good to be back.
Honestly, I was not looking forward to the start of the year, nor was I all that thrilled to return to Mount Pleasant.
Why the great aversion to life as a student?
No, it wasn't because I hate school or that I was nervous about making certain grades.
And no, I'm not one of those anti-social people who hides out from society.
Simply put, I just didn't know what to expect from this semester.
Last year around this time, I made a semi-drastic decision - to leave CMU.
Instead of carrying out my sophomore year in the same pattern that thousands of other students do, I decided to cut it short and hightail it west.
I had good reasons.
Around Thanksgiving, I got the opportunity to move to move to Grand Rapids to do an internship at the local newspaper there. After that, I moved to Florida to do the same thing all over again at another paper.
Looking back, I can honestly say that I wouldn't change anything.
Both internships were invaluable.
But throughout both experiences, one thing became clear: I missed college, but not the school part.
Although I had certainly missed my friends and the interaction with people closer to my age, coming back to life as a student did seem daunting.
And I won't lie, coming back to school has been a transition.
The first day of classes was a near-disaster on many different levels. I lost my schedule, forgot to buy a parking pass and hadn't even thought about books. Some friends even joked that I resembled a scatterbrained freshman rather than someone accustomed to college life.
Being out in the "real world" for nine months had changed me.
Now, several exams, projects and papers later, I know that being away from college helped me appreciate it more when I returned.
And although it wasn't on any test I took or any paper I had to write, I have learned another thing.
Taking time off school is one of the smartest things I've done so far at CMU.
The skills I got before I left helped prepare me for my brief taste of the "real world." Likewise, the time away helped me refocus when I came back.
Whether it's taking a semester to go to Spain on a study abroad trip, or working your butt off at a company you think you might work for someday, it never hurts to take a new look at life by flipping your perception upside down.
Besides, it's good to be back.
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