It Was One of Those Kind of Nights

After completing one year of college, I have plenty of good and bad memories  to reflect upon. But the story of the picture above could take the cake as the most memorable night of college so far.

It all started off with the occurence of a meteor shower last week/a few weeks ago (I can’t remember when it happened). On campus there are two golf courses where anyone from the community can come and play, and back by a maintenence building there are paths through the woods with leads to the Biology reserve, and of course, the golf courses. So John (the injured man picture above) and I went exploring. We found some random houses and a huge open field to try and watch the meteor shower, but the field was too overgrown to chill out there and take in some meteors flying dangerously close to our Earth’s atmosphere. So we found another random trail and started following it.

This trail coincidentily led right to the trail I originally wanted to take! It was awesome! We take the afore mentioned trail through the woods for a little while and we eventually wind up on the golf course. To watch the meteor shower I brought a blanket to protect us from the wet grass, and we scoped out a decent viewing place. After watching the stars for about a half an hour, we got bored and decided to wander the golf course at 2 in the morning and go on a little bit of an adventure. We devise that the best way to maneuver our way back safely to the residence hall where we live is to follow the course until it takes us to the club hose, where we know how to get back from there.

This went on for a while, we jumped through the massive sprinklers that could slice a man in half, and in total, saw…

• 5 Deer
• 6 Raccoons
• 2 Skunks

As we strolled the fairways, we saw our destination off in the distance. Little to our knowledge however, there is a service road that goes through the entire golf course, and we both had flashlights and were being loud and obnoxious. So were weren’t sure if anyone heard us or not. When a car started making its way toward us, we got very worried. As the vehicle came closer, these thoughts ran through our heads…

• We can’t get caught!
• We’re trespassing!
• We can’t go to jail, neither of us would survive!

The closest hiding place was a sand bunker, so we each dive in to hide from the car! The car passes, we slowly come out from the bunker, but another car is coming! And this one one the OU Police Department! It’s like we are in a movie, we hide behind hills, dart from tree grove to tree grove. To say the least, we were extremely sneaky. Then we both agree how we can’t go to the club house now, because that is a bigger chance of getting caught. We needed another plan.

That plan came in the form of a main road right next to the course. When we get closer our escape route, there is a fence in the way, which we overcome fairly easily. But what we didn’t realize is that there was a second fence! I go first. It’s tricky because there is bent over barbed-wire, but I manage to get over safely. John however, is not as nimble as I. He’s on the top of the fence, about to jump off. As he drops, his foot gets caught on the wire! Sending him in a face first plummet to the earth. I run over askingis he’s ok. He rolls over screaming if his nose is broken. It looks fine to me. But his wrist, not so much. It looks terrible. It resembles a dog paw. Nasty. But we are about a mile and a half from my car so I can take him to the ER. We walk a little ways, I call Jenn, his girlfriend, to convinve her she doesn’t need to drive 30 minutes here to come to help us. After that, his pain starts increasing and his hand is swelling more and more as the minutes go by.

I strap on my backpack as tight as it can go, and sprint toward the car! I hop in and speed of toward John, when I see him, he is truding up a hill looking defeated. I speed to the closest hospital and get him to the ER.

A few hours later at 6 am, I leave with a highly drugged/hallucinating John and a new cast in tow.

All in all, it was a night I won’t forget. And either will John.

Morale of the story: If you are to trespass on a golf course late at night. Don’t jump fences. It is dangerous and will result in injury.

It’s all about balance. Although what we have to balance may not be as life threatening as this fellow.

As a higher education student, I have come to realize that academics is important, but not the sole purpose of college. Regarding the college experience, so much of it is meeting new people, broadening your horizons, and learning from others. This requires getting involved with different things on campus, off campus, and wherever else floats your boat. But with an already hectic schedule of classes and studying and working, sometimes it is difficult to fit in extra things. With a well executed balancing act however, it can be incrediby rewarding. Take me for example, I’m involved in…

• Class/studying obviously (which still counts for these purposes)
• Working as an Admissions Ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions
• Working as an Orientation Group Leader for the Orientation & New Student Programs Office
• A championship winning Men’s IM Soccer team
• Other social and athletic activites with my friends (because those are important too)
• And soon to be more invloved with Student Congress

To some this looks like a very hefty plate full, to others, this looks meager. But for me it looks just right. I have found the precise amount of activites to get involved in while still being able to maintain a solid academic career.

It’s all about finding that healthy balance for you. Don’t allow people who can mange ridiculous amounts of things suck you in and get you in over your head. Be aware of your limits, but don’t be afraid to push them every once in a while.

Be like the guy above. Push the limits. Find the spot where it allows you to succeed the most.

cindersandrain:

thedame:

(via nihilnoetia)

What is your role as a student? First off, your role is not to pay tuition, it is not to get good grades in all of your classes, and it is not to get your degree. Although those are good things to do, your primary role is to discover who you really are.

Find out what you enjoy in life, where your priorties in life lie, and most of all, what is your passion is. Once you do that, then the rest falls into place. So many students are told what to do at an early age, “You should become a doctor”, “You need to go into business.” If you really want to be a doctor, or go into business, fine do that. But let that be your decision, let that be your desire and not someone else’s.

Look inside yourself and dig deep. When you discover who you are, the rest of the pieces will fall into place. You will find a degree that suits who you are, and you will find a place in this world that is perfect for you.

Gaze within, to the pieces of your soul that are in the dark, and bring them out into the light, and let them flourish.

Oakland University. My school. My home. Most importantly, where I have spent one of the greatest years of my life, and hopefully more to come.

My freshman year of college was incredible! I couldn’t have asked for better. When I reflect, I see that I am extremely fortunate. I hear many stories of people hating their freshman year with every bone in their body. I lived on an awesome floor, full of some of my closest friends and some of the greatest people I have ever met.

When it finally came to move into my dorm room with a person I know nothing about, apart from what Facebook told me, I thought to myself, “I can’t sit in my room and dick around on my computer all day, I have to meet new people, and take every opportunity that presents itself.” Because that way, you get to see what the school is really like. You discover all the amazing things and all the amazing people.

To wrap it up, your college experience is entirely what you make it. It is your job to make it the best times of your life, because I assure you, they are. So go out there, take on every challenge, kick the ass of every test you take, paint your face and go to every basketball game, get involved in something, and most of all, live your life how you want to. This is the first time most of you have had that sort of freedom, so take full advantage of it!

Make it the time of your life.