Staying out until the sun comes out. Prancing around the empty streets of Greek row, reminiscing about the night you just ended. As you crawl into bed, the sun starts to come out and you unset your alarm for your dreaded 9 am. Congratulations, you have been deemed a “party girl.” Freshman year is what we ALL think is our prime, classes are easier, responsibilities are not as intense; Pullman is your playground. If you’re wondering why I am generalizing the freshman population at WSU, don’t’—I’m describing my freshman year self.
As homecoming and halloweek flew by and my love for Cougar Football Saturday grew, I started to love college more and more. But I loved college for one aspect, the partying. Sophomore year I fell into the same habits; of course, I enjoyed every waking minute of it, I was surrounded by the loud base and hundreds of bodies shoved into 800-square-foot live outs. Sophomore year was even better than freshman year. My responsibilities grew a tad and I was still prominently in UCORE classes, so in my mind, I was smooth sailing.
Junior year. I am 20 years old. I should be focusing on my major and career path, finding internships, preparing myself for graduation that occurs in just one short year. Weirdly, junior year was one of my heaviest semesters of partying; my old party girl habits of freshman year did not die. As I watched women in my sorority posting about jobs and internships they got accepted for the summer, it made me wonder, if I too should maybe enter the real world. The thought of leaving the Pullman Haze was mind-boggling—this is my happy place, Pullman is where I belong (and still do!). After giving a Spanish presentation in a ferbie crop top ( the night after Tequila Thursday) the embarrassment/reality set in. I was a 20-year-old girl, standing in front of a fifteen-person class wearing a shirt that covered half my body while wearing last night's makeup and rockin’ the bloodshot eye look. I was graduating college in less than a year, I was supposed to somehow transform into this mature, contributing member of society adult in roughly five hundred and forty-five days.
I decided to try the life I was slowly avoiding. Homework instead of margarita Wednesday? Or thirsty Thursday? My new lifestyle definitely sucked, or so I thought. My energy levels rose, the “I drank too much” bags slowly stopped appearing four times a week, my Paige jeans weirdly fit better. As the semester went on, my grades slowly improved, classes became easier and by the end of my junior year I had an internship for the summer at a publishing company and walked away with a 3.2 versus the 2.4 I had the previous semester.
I had mastered the art of partying and school. Two years later.
My advice, learn the art of balance. If you think I went cold turkey on partying, think again—I just learned to balance school and my social life. Instead of going out Wednesday through Saturday, I tried to only go out on Friday and Saturday, and putting school before my social life became a reoccurring factor and it was actually not that bad.
If you think I am writing this in an attempt to stop you from partying—WRONG. Please, keep partying, I sure as hell do, but just party in moderation. Excelling in life is much cooler than being known as the girl who Zambonis off a bathroom floor or can drink a repulsing number of locos. Don’t get me wrong, those were definitely my glory days, but being hit up at 8 AM to edit someone’s paper (I am an aspiring editor) versus a text message saying “do you remember last night?” is one hell of a different feeling. I will never let Blustyce die, she has brought me experiences and memories I never knew could exist. She made my college experience THAT much better—but don’t be like me and wait until the last minute. Thrive early, find your balance.
If there is one thing you should take away after reading this, don’t let your inner party girl die, just reel her in occasionally.
xoxo
Blustyce
#LongLiveBlustyce
