Now is the time! The familiar phrase that we heard last year often associated with Northeastern Athletics doesn’t just need to apply on the field, court, ice or in the stands. While the slogan worked for its purpose of increasing support of the Huskies’ sports teams, college is generally the four best years of a person’s life. Fortunately for most of us, it will be the best five years of our lives. Two years ago, when I was a freshman just a few weeks into the college life, a Northeastern graduate made note of my NU sweatshirt as I rode the green line and told me something along the lines of ‘Going to school for four years is like leaving the party at 10 p.m..’
As I enter my third year on Huntington Avenue, I realize that college really offers opportunities that may not be available to those who are not students. Just a few weeks ago, I returned from a Dialogue of Civilizations in Australia where I had the chance to meet some fantastic people and experience things that I more than likely would not have if I hadn’t decided to attend Northeastern. Living and studying abroad is not something most people do outside of college, and many do not even have the chance to travel internationally for pleasure. Not many people can say they’ve gone kangaroo chasing and camping in the Australian Outback as part of an educational experience, but any of us could potentially do that or other activities through a Dialogue or study abroad. Once you graduate and get a full-time job, you are much less likely to get time off to be able to do such things, making now the time to take advantage of these opportunities.
Another advantage to being a student, especially at Northeastern, is that we can get lots of experience in our fields of choice, but not necessarily commit long-term to one position. Through the co-op program, we can work for six months at a job and if we don’t like it, there’s still time to change your course and steer your career in a different direction. We meet people who can help our future plans move in the right direction, we learn new things about what we want to do, and we have more freedom to make decisions that will change our lives. Now is the time to figure out what you want to do, and take some risks that probably won’t hurt you much in the long run.
The college years are also great to socialize, party, attend school and community events (especially since they’re usually free), and make lots of new friends.’ Let’s face it ‘- if a neighbor calls the Northeastern Division of Public Safety (NUPD) on you for having a loud party, you’ll get off a lot easier than you would if you weren’t a student. Take advantage of the opportunities you have as a college student, and don’t let the five years you have on Huntington Avenue go by without having the time of your life. Last year may have been ‘the time’ for our sports teams, but now is always the time to enjoy life. I know I’m going to do whatever I can in the next three years to make that time the best I can be, and I hope you’ll join me.
‘- Andy Towne is a middler communication studies major.
