I, Alison Sullivan, have a serious case of senioritis. But is it justified?
The first day of kindergarten, we get on a school bus (the legendary, 5 Orange) and from that day forward you become a student for the next seventeen years of your life. There is no choice in today's society. School is from kindergarten until college. Stressing over how to master long division, or cursive, or algerbra...and your teacher claims that without these things you'll never be a success. These stresses will soon fade away as the end of college nears.
I'm agonizing right now. I have a finance midterm tomorrow that my professor claims "we cannot study for" because this is the way it is in the so-called "real world". But, I know deep down there's a way to study. I can go through all the lectures we've had so far and refresh my mind as to interest rate risks, hedging strategies, or how to buy an option. Have I done this yet? No. Because I have Senioritis. And it's intensified by the fact that my professor doesn't want us to study. He wants to see if we sink or swim in a situation of pressure. Just like the "real world".
Sometimes the sound of May 16th sounds oh so sweet. The day when seventeen years of schooling comes to a screeching halt. The miserable feeling of dread for tomorrow's exam will be no longer exist come May 16th. Yet, it will only bring about a new dread: the sound of the 6am alarm clock, five days a week for a redundant work schedule...for the rest of your life. (ok a bit dramatic).
For most, earning a college degree is something tedious and just necessary. I am absolutely shocked when I meet someone who hates college, just goes through the motions, and wants to take that diploma and run. It astounds me because I have enjoyed four years of Babson so much. (Granted, for the tuition this institution charges, it better be damn good.) So in the end, the process of attending college has been quite enjoyable. While I have a great job lined up, the proceeds can't possibly be more enjoyable than this process. Sure, a steady pay check doesn't hurt. But life right now is simple (...especially right now with this 2 days of class a week gig I've got going.) So how can I moan and groan bout a silly exam tomorrow? It's a small price to pay to live this lifestyle.
But I would have to say, this case of Senioritis is justified. I have lived such a hectic lifestyle, cramming as much into my schedule as possible, since about 5th or 6th grade. (I remember my dad forced Brendan and I to do Karate thinking it would make us more diciplined, not to mention I was probably playing two or three other sports at the time). And it finally paid off. Surviving a crazy schedule for so many years built the character I needed to persevere through four years of Babson's miserable course curriculum. So I can't beat myself up when I have a day like today, sleeping til 11 am and relaxing until practice. It's glorious and I know days like this are limited.
This theory that my buddy Warren has suggested has also put my Cross Country career in perspective. The process at first glance, quite frankly, it sucks. Who wants to run for fun? Who wants to go to preseason for 10 days in the heat of August, run at 5 am, pool workout at 6am, then another long run at 3pm? Lunatics, thats who. Endorphin-craving lunatics who love the challenge. And I am proud to admit that I am one of them and always will be. And sure, I haven't set any records. Nor have I won any titles. Or even set a new XC pr. It really doesn't matter. Being on this team was the most enjoyable process of all: making lifelong friendships and memories while building character through the challenges running long distance presents. At times, I will forget the proceeds, but never the process.
December 30th 2004 at 5pm: I ran to the computer to find out if I was admitted to Babson. It read "Alison, Welcome to the Class of 2009!". It was easily one of the happiest moments of my life. I had been admitted to my "reach" school. That kicked off my case of high school senioritis. Nothing bad came about from slacking a bit that last semester of my life at THS. This past November I was accepted to my "reach" job opportunity. Enter the college version of senioritis...and in the big scheme of things, it's justified.
PS. Happy Half Birthday to Me! Only 6 Months left to be the glorious age of 21!
Before I begin, I just wanted to point out that this blogs credibility is taking a hit from your designation of Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face' as a life changing tune. If that's a song that changes someone's life, then their life needs alot more change on top of that...Also, happy half birthday although I thought those weren't celebrated after 2nd grade. Also, 10 aqua was way cooler than 5 orange. But anyways, I find it amusing how you love running but dread work the same way many of us look forward to work but dread running! There are alot of parallels between running and work if you think about it. And college. I think of work as a continuation of college, so why is it I'm looking forward to work and the end of school? Because in college I pay them, but in the working world they pay me! But whether its college or work, I approach it the way you would probably approach training for a marathon. Like you said, there is nothing fun about running at 5 a.m., in the same way its no fun studying enough for an exam to get an A, or being really great at your job. But although it may seem painful at the time, a person will always look back at athletics, or school, or their career as something that says alot about them. But of course, the challenges inherent in these things, and how somebody takes them on is what will say the most of all. Being able to recognize this is the first step towards embracing a career, and luckily enough, the graduates of great schools like Babson will be presented with the most challenges of all because they are better equipped to deal with them. So, like Vince Lombardi said, "I've never known a (wo)man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn't appreciate the grind...", and the sooner you cna recognize how great the grind is in both running and work, the happier you will be! That's all I have for now, hopefully someone will respond to my comment, I'm gonna go lister to 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga now...
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