You’re in college now, act like it

I had never understood the concept of Homecoming back in high school. I thought it was an overly hyped football game followed by a dance and a night of debauchery.

Then again, high school was a cesspool of pop culture and Hot Topic clothes, right? When I left high school, my initial thought was “Thank Christ that is over. In college, everyone will be way more mature and we won’t have stupid events or stupidity in general!” It turns out that I was wrong.

When I moved into the dorms last year, I went to class and went back to my room. That was my routine, and I had no complaints.

Eventually I started to make friends on the second floor of Kent Hall, and things were nice. Then I got to meet everyone else.

I thought that high school was over, but it looked like these people were still trying to hold onto their teenage mentalities. No matter how wide your circle of friends is, there is always “that guy” or “that girl.”

I’m sure that most of these people are nice; I’m not trying to generalize everybody. With that said, I think there is room for improvement.

Whenever I think about high school, I am always reminded of my old classmates, who we will call Jimmy and Russell.

Jimmy and Russell were cocky and arrogant, but for some reason, everyone loved them. Probably because they were two of the best football players that my high school had ever seen.

I had always had a lingering feeling in the back of my mind that they would become those people at the high school reunion: overweight and balding; wearing a plain white muscle shirt with grease spots on it,  and drunkenly rambling

about “that one touchdown we almost made during that one game way back when.”

As I walk around campus, I see people that remind me of Jimmy and Russell. Too many people.

I am probably just being pessimistic, but if I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be writing opinion articles.

When I was a child, I was a little hell-raiser. All of that changed when I went to school for the first time. I would mess around, and I’m pretty sure I threw one kid’s shoes on the roof one time.

Something magical happened that day. I was marched into the school counselor’s office to be evaluated, I think, and he said something to me that has affected me to this day.

He looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Grow up.”

On that day, the world lost that magical sparkle that it once had, and I realized I was being a bit of a jerk.

Perhaps the guidance counselor should have followed me to college and said the same to a few people around here.

Ladies and gentleman, you are not in high school anymore. You cannot go do whatever you want and think that there will be no repercussions. Whatever you end up doing, it is all going to be on you.

The world doesn’t revolve around you, and you can’t expect everyone to stop and congratulate you for tying your shoes.

Mommy and daddy aren’t going to be your wallets forever, and they sure as hell won’t be there to pat you on the back and say “Everything is going to be okay,” because sometimes, things fall apart.

That’s life. The sooner you learn that, the better.