College is a place of learning, a sanctuary of higher education that exists to shelter and nurture the minds and spirits of young people. Its walls, bathed in the glory of knowledge, house some of the most brilliant of human beings. At least, that is how it is sold to the multitudes. That is the sales pitch. College is described as an upper-level facility that is, of course, well worth the cost. Many have discovered, however, that this is not exactly the case. That is not to say that college is an institution of lies. The system does play an important role in society and it does nurture the minds of its participants, but it is certainly not all that it claims to be. That being said, the rumors stirring about danger and heart-stopping thrills, about a land free of rules and caked in violence, are not exactly correct either. College, in actuality, is neither a perfect place of learning nor a breeding ground for depravity. As it turns out, college isn’t all that glamorous at all. This fact is made no clearer than in the moments where the students exist free from influence: after hours.
In the brief span of time that encapsulates roughly 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the college student is completely free. Now, one might expect these darkened hours to be filled with mischief and chaos and, while I’m sure that that is true in some cases, it is, for the most part, relatively quiet. College students, it turns out, are not robots devoted solely to knowledge nor are they junkies partying until the sun rises. In most cases, they are simply tired. And, I mean tired. In the late hours of night and the early hours of morning, these stressed-out, exhausted individuals sleep. It’s ironic to think that the concept of sleep, the idea of staying in one’s own room and sleeping at night, might seem so preposterous a thought. And, before I entered college, I too believed that the campus would be a constant mesh of noise and activity at all hours. I have found that after engraining myself into the culture, hearing or seeing students wandering about after dark is one of the oddest experiences. In fact, the few stragglers that forfeit their precious sleep are seen not as “having fun,” but as being completely and utterly foolish. For, why in the world would they choose to refrain from the sweet blessing of slumber?
If the students work hard and complete assignments, it is because they strive for a moment of peace. If they goof off instead of work, it is because they have given up the fight and stopped believing that there ever will be a time of rest. And, yes, I realize that these are simple generalizations. I realize that there are some students that utterly love learning and strive to grow and prosper with every fiber of their being. I realize that there are some students that come to college to get away from home and have a good time, students that never cared and never will. But, despite all the possibilities and complications, there is one fact I know for certain: college is not glamorous. How can it be? The students are far too tired to manage something so difficult as glamor.
