Can we talk about college for a second?

Kate can often be seen getting lost and wearing a Gryffindor scarf.

New year, new you — but let’s be honest, who actually believes it? This semester probably will not be much different than the last. We will live on caffeine and memes, complain about being single, and gauge time by how empty the cereal box is. Social media will still keep you from doing your homework and YouTube is still a black hole you will never crawl out of.

In fact, college is a pretty bizarre experience. It is a mix of bad food, late nights and a pillowcase you have not washed in months. Textbooks cost as much as tuition, showers require flip flops and it is socially acceptable to ask a person what their major is before you ask their name. The snow piles in the parking lot outside my dorm are taller than me. The only notifications I get are from Canvas and my mom saying she will ship the socks I left at home over break. We are all convinced that even oxygen costs money (apparently, there is such a thing as an oxygen bar?) and we have a week called Dead Week. Dead Week. Did we really agree to this experience? And are we actually paying for it?

Sure, college has its perks. A free gym, therapy dogs at the library and secret (or not so secret) free food gatherings at certain times of the week. We are all working toward our degrees. We have ambition to be better people: more educated, well-rounded and ready for real life. But how much of the experience is worth it? The worst parts of college, like classes and finals, are probably out of our control. But how much of it is social norm we could break? How much of it is our bad habits?

Procrastination-itis is a real thing, and it’s curable. If I spent less time learning the Sid Shuffle and more time memorizing anatomical regions, both my roommate and my grades would thank me. We could all study a little harder, eat a little better and maybe watch a little less Netflix. New year, new you — it may not be very realistic to change overnight, but maybe we could all make goals to change by the end of the semester, or even by next New Year’s Eve.

But then again… that is a lot of work.

All complaints aside, our school is pretty fantastic, being one of the cheapest in the country, with a student section and school spirit that’s enviable. We’ve got great sledding, a beautiful campus and a pretty cool newspaper (not that I’m biased). College life has got its complaints, and sometimes we wonder if it’s worth our time, but it could be worse. You could be at BYU.

— Katelynn.bolen@aggiemail.usu.edu

@kate_bolen