I’m cheating myself out of my college experience. I remember when I first came to school and I was so excited about all the courses I was going to get to take. I saw each class as something new to learn — a new opportunity to improve myself. All I cared about was what I was going to learn from a class and how I was going to use that to change the person that I was. I still love class but to quote B.B. King: “the thrill is gone.”

So what has changed to get me to this lifeless point? I’m taking classes that I should be thrilled about. I’m taking a class in technical drawing right now. My freshman year I would have been thrilled about this class –excited that maybe I was finally going to be able to draw better than my friend Luke so he would finally stop making fun of my doodles in class. But now, as I complete the sketching assignments before each class, I just find myself grumpy and racing to the next assignment. I’ve entertained various theories about why I am where I am now. I could just finally be settling into the college groove or perhaps I just have to work through some more core classes to get back to the stuff I enjoy. I think I’ve been fooling myself though. This isn’t a phase.

I’ve gotten to the point where I’m fighting for my grades.

I’m not taking classes anymore because I want to. I’m taking classes because it is what my advisor tells me to do. There is nothing wrong with following a degree audit and obtaining a certain degree in four years, that isn’t what I’m saying. I’m saying there is something wrong when learning loses its pleasure.

Think back to the days of the Renaissance. Higher learning flourished throughout Europe and intellectual debate was a common pastime. I guarantee you that the students during the Renaissance in Florence and France were not following a degree audit — they were following their insatiable desire for higher learning and greater understanding.

I’m going back to the Renaissance motivation for higher learning. For me, I’m no longer going to make class about making my A and getting the credit for my degree audit. From here on out I’m not going to stay up until 4 a.m. almost every night stressing out about whatever test is coming up or what problem set is due soon. I’m still going to get all of my work done and do well in school because there is certainly something to be said for receiving high marks from our professors. But now, I’m going to be ok with a B and heaven forbid maybe even one day a C. I’m determined to bring back the joy that I used to have in learning.

Graduation is getting closer each day and it brings with it the presence of the dog-eat-dog world we live in. So, join me in reclaiming our college experience and taking back the joy of learning before we hit “the real world.” Take some time out of your humdrum assignments and have an educated conversation, making it a point to take classroom topics beyond the classroom. It’s our college experience and I’m determined to enjoy every facet of it.

What are you going to do to reclaim educational enlightenment? E-mail your thoughts to [email protected].