With the summer slowly slipping away into autumn, a new season is being ushered in: a season of change. Students are back in school and are presumably rejuvenated from their summer excursions. Five or so weeks into the semester, our routines have been established, schedules hammered out and nap schedules set in stone. Our habits right now are a likely indicator of how we will succeed or come to our demise this semester. With that said, this autumn should be the season for change in your life. If you didn’t have the opportunity to reflect upon your life while lying poolside this summer, then now more than ever is your chance.
Students, I challenge you all to look within yourselves at your relationship with your significant other, if you happen to have one, at your study habits, and for many of you, your standing within Greek life when it comes to your partying. Change is good, though I would like to add a qualification to that statement. Change is only good when it benefits the person in need of it, but changing for the sake of change is not necessarily the best course of action.
First and foremost, evaluate your relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend and be honest with yourself. Are you 100 percent satisfied with who they are and what their goals in life are? Realize that you cannot change them but only your own attitudes about the relationship. If you are unwilling to compromise on one or two make-or-break issues, this does not make you an unfair person, but rather, strong enough to be able to say “enough is enough.” From early on in the relationship, decide what you value most and determine if your partner feels the same. Of course, many people can work through any obstacle in a relationship, but if you are similar to me, then it’s best for the relationship if both people are like-minded in beliefs. Then, if needed, make necessary changes in relationship. I didn’t say it wouldn’t be hard, but in the end, your happiness is on the line.
With the new academic semester, it’s time to do away with the old study habits that earned you a depressing 2.0 GPA. So please, do yourself a favor and delete World of Warcraft off your laptop, crack open a textbook every now and then and most importantly, go to class. You are in the position now to potentially put yourself in a competitive place in the job market. Companies will not take you seriously if you cannot make the grades in school. It’s so discouraging to see my classmates not take school seriously and drop out because of laziness. If you change your habits now, your future will be more promising with long-term rewards.
My third and final call for change involves Greek life. It’s a little pathetic when you can see pictures of sorority girls on Facebook, and every one of them has that infamous red or blue cup in her hand at a party, as if everyone didn’t know alcohol was in it. What’s even more ridiculous is that a majority of the girls are underage. It’s ironic that the N.C. State Greek life Web site explicitly says in the Frequently Asked Questions section “alcohol and substance abuse is not tolerated,” yet, alcohol is still supplied at parties. In my view, it doesn’t matter how many charitable acts Greeks do to serve the community. As far as I’m concerned, Greek life has a tainted reputation. Socializing is fine but getting drunk and posting these pictures online is not. So Greeks, change your image — you can be social without being wasted.
There has never been a more perfect opportunity to commit to change than today. Do some introspective thinking and decide, “Yes, I want to change.” I doubt you will regret your decision. Carpe diem!
What’s something that you plan to change? Tell us at [email protected].
