The Western Concept

by Ashley Martin       

It has been four and a half years, nine semesters, and thousands of dollars and headaches since I first began attending classes at Dickinson State University. Although I have certainly enjoyed my time here, it is time to say farewell. I will finally be graduating from DSU at the end of this semester.

 

I am definitely excited to be finished with this chapter of my life, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little scared. Everyone has to do it some day, and I guess it is my turn to grow up.

Since this is my last semester at DSU, I would like to share a few things that I have learned in my years here. Hopefully, current students who read this will learn a little something from the wisdom I have gained, and the many mistakes that I have made.

First of all, it is extremely important that you get enough sleep. I know many students have the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality, but sleep is much more important than you may realize. Rest will help you concentrate, perform better in class and will give you a better chance at passing your finals. If you get enough sleep, you are also less likely to catch all the illnesses that get passed around.

Secondly, I don’t mean to sound like a beer commercial, but please drink responsibly. Too many accidents and stupid crimes happen under the influence of alcohol.  I am no angel, but I can tell you from experience that drinking too much is not worth it. Take care of yourself.

Another warning I would like to give current students of DSU is strictly for those of you living on campus. It is imperative that you wear flip flops while showering on campus. The janitors do clean them, but if you are not the first person to use the shower after it has been cleaned, there is no limit to what you could be stepping in.

If you would like to save yourself some money and a bit of trouble, it is wise to pay your parking tickets immediately. You may be thinking that this does not apply to you if you have purchased a parking permit. For those of you who are like me and are notorious for parking in “No Parking” zones when there are no open parking spots, remember that your fine is cheaper if you pay within three days. Also, I have learned that if you get too many parking tickets, do not have a permit, and do not pay your fines with in a reasonable amount of time, your car will be towed.

I have learned the hard way how important it is to choose your roommates wisely. I will not go into detail about my personal horror stories, but I will say that seven roommates later, I gave up. I now live happily by myself. I hope you all have better luck.

If you have the time, enroll in classes outside of your required credits. Doing this really breaks up the monotony that similar classes can bring. Taking different classes can also give you the “well rounded education” that we are all supposed to acquire at DSU.

Make as many friends as possible while enrolled at DSU. There are so many people from all over the world who are enrolled at DSU. Please do not miss this opportunity to learn about different cultures and expand your circle of friends.

Finally, the most important part of going to college is that you have fun. I know that sometimes this seems impossible, especially during finals week, but it is necessary that you enjoy your college experience. If you hate every second of every class, you definitely need to rethink your major. If it seems like you have no time for anything except schoolwork, you desperately need to organize your time and pencil some recreation into your schedule. Otherwise, you are going to burn yourself in a hurry.  I have held a job all through college and still found plenty of time to play, so I know it’s possible.

Well I hope some of you learned a few things from my experience, and if not, I hope you have enjoyed reading the stories I have posted for The Western Concept. I will miss this all—someday—but for now, I must eagerly say goodbye!