Last May, my roommate, my fraternity big brother and my best girlfriend all graduated. I packed up my belongings and left behind my room on Fraternity Row. It hadn’t fully sunk in yet, but I wasn’t only departing a room, but also an entire way of life where I lived, ate and drank with 30 people. Sophomore year was when I started writing for this newspaper – a year chock-full of Burnett’s Mango, extensive conversations about the future and – on a personal note – the first year living openly as an out and proud gay man. With the year now in the rearview mirror, it was time to start the transition away from typical carefree college life.
However, in order to achieve success – both personally and professionally – life would have to turn a tad more mature. Without some of my closest confidantes to help me cope with the change, I was moving into an apartment, starting the endless cycle of internships and adjusting to the fact that three of my four closest friends were no longer around. I realized that college is transitory: People come and go in and out of your life.
For years, all of us have had a voice in our head telling us the real world is coming. A world where we have more possessions than just a few suitcases filled with clothes, a television and a multitude of Apple products. Transitioning from a mindset where social and academic college life are top priorities to a life in which a part-time internship consumes three days of my week is an adjustment. It’s a new norm, one where my priorities and sources of happiness have changed.
However, while some may say the new normal of internships, a few classes and less socializing during the week is less than ideal, it’s more about defining the new normal. In our society, we define time periods in our life: teenage years, college days and young professional life. Adults often repeat, in movies and other forms of popular culture, the refrain, “College is the best four years of your life.” While I’ve so far found this to be true, we all must consider how we’re spending our time in college to set ourselves up for a successful and fulfilling life. I mean, what’s a government and politics major with no internships and professional contacts worth in Washington? Answer: an unpaid internship or temporary employment.
We all want to – and should – enjoy our time in College Park and try to live in the moment. But one must understand that college is a limited time period, and how and with whom we choose to spend our time matters. College will certainly be a highlight of my life, but I’m not looking toward my 20-something years with dread. Instead, having the opportunity to live in a city, attend networking happy hours and get intoxicated every Sunday afternoon sounds enticing.
It’s a difficult balance, as college comes to a close and real life is starting. The fact that we are leaving the bubble of College Park doesn’t mean the world is ending, and people should not be too upset they are getting older – life goes on. I empathize with those scared of change, but we all must realize college isn’t the only thing out there. So while I’m hovering in limbo, trying to keep one foot in college and the other in Washington, I’m trying to enjoy the best of both worlds. I can say with certainty that I loved (and am still loving) my time in college – but the future burns bright.
Matt Arnstine is a junior government and politics major. He can be reached at arnstine@umdbk.com.
