Diary of a College Senior

Sept 14 - Side projects over school.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

This morning, I headed off to school and ended up arriving an hour early before my class starts. So I grabbed a chair in a quiet room and tried to work on some homework. I was soon joined by my classmates, Josef and Toby, who were rushing to finish an assignment due tomorrow (as usual).

I met Josef and Toby through my good friend Addie. They are part of a group of boys whom Addie and I affectionately nicknamed 'The Crew'. They are unlike all the other uptight, serious boys we are used to seeing in our program. They did their homework last minute, went out often, Toby even played in a band. But long story short, they all have a life apart from our program of studies, which can be so demanding at times that many students simply lived and breathed their books.

This year, I will be seeing The Crew more often, as we have agreed to work on a class project together. It's a great excuse for me to hang out with them, as I have always wanted to do more of.

Around 12:40, I had to go to class so I bid goodbye to Toby and Josef and wished them luck on the assignment. From there, the rest of my day was a pattern of meeting people I have not seen since the summer.

For some reason, when I tell everyone I am planning to extend my degree by taking an extra semester, I am met with sympathetic responses.

"It's okay." The person would pat me on the back, like they were trying to comfort me from some bad news, "Sometimes you need the extra time."

I guess they probably think that I failed some classes or something. But I didn't. I don't tell them that I chose to take the extra time because I believe there are more important things in my life right now than trying to finish my degree 'on time'. (What is 'on time' anyway? It just means you graduate with everyone else - aka your friends). I also don't tell them that I plan to use this year to pursue my side projects and actually spend time on things that interest me, as opposed to things I feel obligated to do.

Once upon a time, I would have been horrified at the thought of taking one less class than a classmate, and even more horrified at the thought of graduating half a year behind everyone else.

But now I would care less.

I have chosen my path and they have chosen theirs. I don't need other people's approval. I need my own sanity and happiness.