I’ve seen this article floating around the internet for a while now, and I’ve seen positive and negative responses. If you haven’t read it, here’s the link.

The article stresses how quickly college goes by and urges the freshman to “enjoy every single millisecond you get to spend in college.”

While I don’t disagree with this fact, you should enjoy your time in college, there is a line between enjoying your time and using your time wisely to get the most out of college and all the opportunities it holds. The writer even says, “Work hard but play harder,” and that “The ‘real world’ can wait.”

This way of thinking is how GPAs fall, homework isn’t turned in, internships and experience aren’t sought after and a rude awakening happens after graduation day.

When you spend all your time drunk and “enjoying every millisecond,” you aren’t using your four years in college the way they should be used. You’re in college to get an education. Your education here will allow you to be a successful adult in the future. I’m not saying that you have to go to college to be successful, don’t misconstrue that. I’m saying that if you’re paying to be here, use your resources wisely. You can get slammed at bars and sleep until noon without paying thousands of dollars for a degree.

The resources that we have here in college are so valuable. We’re here for much more than to have a good time. While it is good to come to school to find your sense of self and identify your own identity, we have to look toward our future. College isn’t the end-all, be-all. College is a stepping stone to the next phase of our lives. While it may seem scary and unknown, the steps you take now will make the next step a lot easier.

So join clubs, volunteer, get involved, focus on your grades, party hard, but work harder.

Don’t squander your time in college, but take all the opportunities you can to better yourself for the next step instead of living stuck in your college years.