I can honestly tell you that a part of me dreads family get-togethers ever since college started. Thanksgiving, winter holidays, family reunions, it’s all the same. A smile, a hug, and “Hey! Haven’t seen you in a while,” (Like we’d see each other more if I wasn’t away at college? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my whole family, but we’re not much for planning things often. There’s too many for us to fit in an actual house anyways. Sure, I might see some people more than others, but we RARELY all have the same schedule for everyone to get together), “How’s ---“

STOP RIGHT THERE!

I know you’re going to ask me, “How’s College?”

DON’T ASK ME.

My response, along with every other college kid ever will be the same.

“Good.”

If you really want to know, check my Facebook. I’m the president of two on-campus organizations, I have a job, I’m taking a full 18 credits, I’m minoring in three very diverse topics, I’m the captain of an intramural cornhole team, I’m a part of Greek Life, and I write for the Odyssey. I mean, it’s cool and all, all of it, but I’m more busy than I’ve ever been in my whole life, I’m stressed to the max, and I can’t make plans unless they’re scheduled two days in advance. And I want more to do.

Call me crazy, but I’m a college kid.

Not everyone has the same experience, but I can assure you we are all busy with our own chaotic schedules. He has sports, she has two biology labs, they have a performing arts festival, et cetera. And we all share the same love-hate relationship with our lives as the next person. We’re just a bunch of anxiety-driven college students.

Call us crazy, but we actually do enjoy the college life sometimes.

Between the academic stress, contemplation between the choices surrounding career paths, and sleep, there’s some fun. I mean, college parties are no lie and no one can deny that. Even if there’s no drugs, alcohol, or a house full of people, it’s kind of a party getting your best friends together to eat pizza and read your textbooks together, right?

So yeah, college is going. I can’t promise you it’s going that well, but we give the same answer for “How’s your day going?”

It’s good.

So, to my family and friends, I love you all – never forget that – but I’m too preoccupied with scheduling my whole life in my head to say more than what I do. So next time you think about asking me, “How’s college been this year?” just know it’s alright and I’m alright and soon I’ll be done and then I’ll tell you how it’s really going.

Sincerely,

Every College Kid I Know