2008 Woodie Awards
Mind of a Senior
Senioritis
Caryn Connolly
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: Opinion
The senior mind is a scary thing, and no, I'm not talking about what could happen as we age and our minds inevitably deteriorate. All sorts of scary thoughts come up, such as: "What if I don't pass that horrendously difficult graduate class that half the class failed last year?" "What if I don't get enough A's in my classes to bring up my GPA and miss graduating with honors by 0.003?" Stupid things like that.
Then there's the dilemma I currently find myself in. While doing a routine check of which classes I've taken towards my minor, it struck me that I should make sure that I had taken enough electives to graduate. I had just gotten really excited over the fact that I only had to take 14 credits this semester too. I was already looking forward to filling all that extra time with relaxing, doing yoga and maybe pledging APO, which I've wanted to do for years but have always been to busy to follow through on.
The problem stems from the fact that I am a Naval Engineering major. It's a relatively new program, and only two of us are graduating this year. This is also a specialized program and does not require all of the "usual" classes. Do they need to be replaced by something else? No one tells you anything, so you end up turning into a detective.
Since I only have 14 credits, I briefly considered just adding another graduate course. I figure, hey, it couldn't hurt to have extra classes, and if it ends up being extra, it is easy enough to just defer the credit towards a Master's degree.
Then I thought better of that idea. Last semester, I was so overwhelmed by the shear volume of work for my classes. There should be time in your life for something else besides working on homework for 18 hours a day and forgetting to eat! This is my last chance to get the "full college experience." While I have been active in several activities over the years, most notably as a staff writer for the Stute and president of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers here on campus, there are many things I haven't had a chance to do. Now, I want to take advantage of all the great opportunities while I still can. I also reserve my right not to take advantage of those opportunities.
Life is about choice. If I am required to take another course, I will. If not, I'll just take a deep breath and enjoy the freedom.
Then there's the dilemma I currently find myself in. While doing a routine check of which classes I've taken towards my minor, it struck me that I should make sure that I had taken enough electives to graduate. I had just gotten really excited over the fact that I only had to take 14 credits this semester too. I was already looking forward to filling all that extra time with relaxing, doing yoga and maybe pledging APO, which I've wanted to do for years but have always been to busy to follow through on.
The problem stems from the fact that I am a Naval Engineering major. It's a relatively new program, and only two of us are graduating this year. This is also a specialized program and does not require all of the "usual" classes. Do they need to be replaced by something else? No one tells you anything, so you end up turning into a detective.
Since I only have 14 credits, I briefly considered just adding another graduate course. I figure, hey, it couldn't hurt to have extra classes, and if it ends up being extra, it is easy enough to just defer the credit towards a Master's degree.
Then I thought better of that idea. Last semester, I was so overwhelmed by the shear volume of work for my classes. There should be time in your life for something else besides working on homework for 18 hours a day and forgetting to eat! This is my last chance to get the "full college experience." While I have been active in several activities over the years, most notably as a staff writer for the Stute and president of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers here on campus, there are many things I haven't had a chance to do. Now, I want to take advantage of all the great opportunities while I still can. I also reserve my right not to take advantage of those opportunities.
Life is about choice. If I am required to take another course, I will. If not, I'll just take a deep breath and enjoy the freedom.