Megan and I had dinner with Sarah tonight at PF Chang's in Lodo. Sarah is heading off to Georgia Tech in about 2 weeks. She was a winner of the Colorado Club's scholarship. Megan and I had fun giving her tips of what to expect her freshman year. It was fun to reminisce about the college days. It's such a shame that you don't realize how good you have it until you're out in the real world.
Now so others that attended Tech can reminisce, here's a document that floated around campus for awhile. I think it originated during Greek Week, a parody of a popular graduation speech at the time:
Ladies and Gentleman, Get Out.
If I could offer you one piece of advice, one goal for the future, getting out would be it. The social, psychological, and physical benefits of leaving this place have been documented by employers, doctors, counselors, psychologists, therapists, nutritionists and personal trainers. I can't give you detailed advice about getting out, I can only advise you about making the best of your time here. I shall dispense that advice now.
Realize the overworked student's need for relaxation. Meet this need. Party long, party hard, party often. Learn the difference between a pilsner and a lager, regardless of whether or not you drink them. Tear down a goal post. Tear up hedges. Keep parts of both. Don't wait for the Stinger, but know that the arrival of the Stinger is as likely as an A in Emag. The real Stinger is that bus that just pulled away as you walked up. It will be by again tomorrow. Wear your RAT cap. When you say BUDWEISER, you've said it all.
Learn that Brittain Dining Hall only serves twenty different foods. Learn to love these twenty foods. And when that isn't possible, learn to mix them together to make new entrees. Discuss strategies for stealing the T, even if you don't really plan on doing it. Scream at midnight during finals week.
Try not to berate people who forward emails. But let them know you don't appreciate it. Let them know that the Cancer Society isn't going to donate 3 cents to anybody. Let them know Disney World isn't going to send anyone on a free trip. Let them know that you deleted the last chain letter and you weren't mauled by pigeons like it said you'd be.
Drop a class. Join SGA. If you figure out exactly what it is that SGA does, please tell me. Climb the coliseum. Climb to the top of the EE building. Climb the fence around the Aquatic Center. Read the syllabus....even if you promptly forget what was on it. Rush.
Learn that SAC fields gives one mother of a rug-burn. Do not read the Dean's List; it will only make you feel stupid. Switch to semesters. Change your major to Computer Science once, but leave before your social life disappears. Change your major to Management once, but leave before your intellect disappears.
Maybe you'll get parking, maybe you won't, maybe you'll get housing, maybe you won't, maybe your class will be taught by a good professor, maybe your class will be taught by STAFF. Whatever happens, know that the faculty is out to get you. Order Junior's French Toast Special after an all-nighter. Visit Athens. Count the ways that we're better than UGA.
Accept certain inalienable truths, you will spend long nights on CS1502, and the ratio will become a reality, and you'll never find the word that you need, but you'll move towards graduation anyway, and when you reach your final year, you'll fantasize that during your first years you aced 1502, you had to beat the women off with a stick, and there was always someone willing to share their word. Share you word.
Realize that you probably can't dance very well. But realize that most other people can't dance very well either, so, comparatively, you're doing okay.
But trust me about getting out.
