Tips #16

Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote the following lines:

I burn my candle at both ends,
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends
It gives a lovely light.

Are you a thrill seeker? Do you drink the big gulp, participate in extreme sports, and super-size your fries? Or, are you more like the marathon runner, one who moves through life thoughtfully, slowly, steadily, and patiently?

I personally would hate to live a life devoid of intense experiences. However, thrills usually only provide fleeting pleasure. I need some long-term goals, worthy pursuits that provide me with enduring benefits and pleasures.

You will have intense experiences while at college. But these intense experiences should happen along the way to your goal of reaching the finish line at a marathon. Earning a college degree will have lasting benefits. You may lose your money, your boyfriend or girlfriend may leave you, you may wreck your SUV, but you will never lose your education. Of course, having a college degree will make it easier to get a good job, to develop a meaningful relationship, and to get the loan you'll need to buy an SUV, but the true value of your college degree is the mark of distinction and accomplishment it represents, the enhanced skills and increased potential that it indicates you have developed, and the personal growth that your education provided in terms of knowing yourself and others. If you are not changed by the process of getting a degree then you do not deserve one; you have not taken advantage of the opportunities that college provides.

Why, you might wonder, if getting a college degree is such a great thing, then why do only roughly half of the people who start college ever earn a degree? The answer is that in many cases these drop-outs never realize that they are burning their candle at both ends all the time, rather than running the marathon.

They do want the degree, but they want it right away.
They get distracted or get in trouble.
They have poor study habits.
They listen to their "friends," rather than the people who really care about them.
They let minor setbacks stand in their way.
They make excuses.
They do not seek help when they need it.
They are negative.
They try to "just get by" rather than work hard for the long haul.
They never discover that learning can be enjoyable.

Edna St. Vincent Millay is right. Don't live your life without burning a few candles at both ends now and then. But remember that success in college (and happiness in life) is like running a marathon. Be optimistic, stay healthy, plan ahead, train consistently, keep moving forward, pass all the checkpoints, and keep focused on the finish line.