Attending a school far away or even near home means you are enlisting yourself to a game that will last a minimum of four years. There will be challenges, sleepless nights, crazy weather, drama, alliances, emergency hospital visits and plenty of reasons to want to quit. Your goal is to simply outwit, outplay and outlast. Here are some reasons why I think Survivor and University have a lot in common.
1. Start teams never ended.
I'm not sure about your school, but mine split us up into four tribes our first week. Three days full of challenges, food, and community service introduced me to the semester in an all around crash course to get my fellow classmates and I acclimated. I still have my "buff" in my room.
2. You probably will not admit it, but you already picked your sole survivor.
There is always that one person that you meet right away and you immediately know they are going to thrive. High GPA? Check. Great fashion sense? Check. Musician? Check. You either are that person, know that person, or hate that person (which I wouldn't suggest).
3. Gameplay
Whether it's socially, academically or both, honey, you need a gameplay to survive living with 500+ students for months at a time.
4. Running to your morning class is it's own challenge.
It's a beautiful morning, the sun shines into your dorm window, hallway doors open and slam shut and birds are chirping. Except that chirping is actually the muffled sound of your alarm because it is now 8:25 and you have an 8:30 class. Did I mention that you are out of skips?
5. Blindsides...
I feel as if I don't need to dwell on this one for too long. We've all seen the full 360 of this one. You have been blindsided, seen a blind side, or done a blindside. There are no in-betweens.
6. Brains, Brawn, Beauty? Theologians, Musicians, Hipsters.
There are three kinds of people at Christian University; you cannot deny that you fit into one of these three. Embrace your inner theologian, musician or hipster; it calls to you.
7. Quizlets are immunity idols.
If you find the Quizlet to an assignment due at 11:55pm, you must feel the same way a survivor does when they finally get that immunity idol. The rush that comes from knowing that your study guide is already built mirrors a survivor who has just undergone the most strenuous challenge. You feel like you will receive individual immunity from the next tribal council.
8. Weight loss may be a thing especially if the only edible options are rice and beans.
We never appreciated our mother's good cooking until we go away to college. You probably make her the happiest person when you go home and eat her dinners like they're the best food you've ever had. Little does she know.
9. Loved one visits are what you live for.
The same way you don't appreciate good food until it's gone, you don't appreciate your family until they're not at your access 24/7. Their visits become extra special.
10. Senior year is a very long final tribal council.
If you've ever actually taken a minute to talk to or look at a senior you will see that they have indeed somehow managed to survive it all. The social interaction, the long
(and sometimes pointless) classes and the sometimes-less-than-edible food. They truly are the Sole Survivor. So hey, maybe you too can be a Sole Survivor if you just suck it up and realize that this isn't just a game.
