As I was talking to my best friend from home during Christmas Break, we came to an interesting conclusion. College students have many similarities to elderly people. Being home for break led to me and many of my friends feeling like old people, and even my parents noticed the similarities.
One of the main ways I found college students related to the elder generation was similar dinner times. At about 5 p.m. every night, my friend and I were ready for dinner. This seemed very normal to me and I expected some kind of dish to be prepared for me by my loving mother. This was not the case. In fact, she was appalled I was hungry so early. Much like the schedule of a nursing home, the dining hall puts out the dinner options for the night around 4 or 5 p.m. and I have gotten very used to it. Slowly over break, I have changed my ways, but upon returning to school I’ll be starving right at 4:59 p.m.
Another major similarity between these two age groups is the aches and pains. Perhaps a person in their 70s has more serious pains than a young and spry college student, but students experience pains nonetheless. My athletic friends already have basketball and soccer injuries that have been affecting their knees and backs for years. After weeks of balancing academics, sports, friends, and so on, these injuries start to really impact a student. Break provides the perfect time to lounge around and try to heal, much like an older person might lose some mobility over the years.
The final similarity my friend and I discussed might seem odd, but it is a noticeable comparison. Both college students and elderly people can take forever in a bathroom. Our grandpas and grandmas might be in the bathroom forever due to having a hard time moving around. College students' reasons for long stints in the bathroom are much different. The showers of our homes are so luxurious compared to the ones in dorms that it is impossible to stop yourself from taking a long, 20-minute shower. Though the reason may be different, it would not be surprising for both an old person and a college student to spend over 15 minutes in a bathroom.
Sure, college-aged people have many differences from the older generation, but we do all have things in common. Nursing homes encourage community living similar to dorm life. Naps are crucial ways of resting used frequently by both age groups. Whenever you feel distance from a family member who's in their 70s or 80s, it’s interesting to think you may have way more in common than you imagined.
