Why college isn’t always about having fun

What does it mean to be happy? What is happiness? What is the purpose of life? With modern day technology, these are fascinating questions to ask.

Some of us think long-term, some short-term, others simply take it one day at a time. It is equally important to think in all forms, both long and short. It is good to have long-term goals, something to strive for. Maybe this is a vacation, marathon, anything.

It is equally important to have day-to-day goals. When you wake up, ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish today?” Do it the night before. These goals can be happiness, being relaxed or something else entirely. Then ask, “How can I achieve happiness?” and “What makes me happy?” These are very contextual situations. Sometimes certain things make us happy, and other times other things make us happy; it just depends on the day. It is important to learn how to enjoy every day, every moment.

We need to learn about ourselves. College is a great time to learn about yourself. With an abundance of freedom, free time and being surrounded by young people, college is a once in a lifetime opportunity. For most of us, it is our first experience with independence.

With such an environment comes an abundance of social opportunities. Parties, social media, the Wellness Center, the list goes on and on. As social creatures, it is important to interact with other humans. With technology and social media, this opportunity almost never leaves our side.

It is important to put time aside for yourself. It is important to free your mind, daydream, get lost in thought. This is where creativity is born. This is how you develop the ability to think critically. We don’t always need to be occupied by society because that can be overwhelmingly stressful. To be constantly flooded with the thoughts and opinions of others can affect our view of ourselves and the world around us. It is most definitely brain-numbing.

People that grew up in the early 2000s and before didn’t have this problem. They weren’t constantly flooded with the brain-numbing of technology. They were bored, allowing their minds to get lost in the world of creativity. It is important to be bored. It teaches us to think.