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St. Cloud State University
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College is a test of endurance
By Joe Palmersheim
Published:
Thursday, November 14, 2002
Joe Palmersheim -- Staff Column
This is my third attempt at this column. It made me realize something that I hadn’t quite grasped before.
Mid-terms just passed us, and a lot of us are still trying to get our balance back, hoping for a lull in schoolwork that may not even come.
My experience was no different. I had mid-terms, I had projects due and I was losing my mind. It made me question whether or not I was even ready for the college road. Then I was enlightened.
College, at times, is just like banging your head against a wall. One just has to take the pain in hopes that it will stop, and be accustomed to the sight of blood.
Graphic? Maybe. But I think it illustrates a point. Class workloads sometimes seem to be dictated more out a sense of masochism more than anything else. But there is a reason for this. The harder the road is, the fewer people make it. As cruel as this may be, it’s some form of natural selection on a college level.
The more work there is, the more non-hack-its get weeded out, making your degree all the more impressive. That’s why people respect a college degree. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get one. I knew that before I got here.
Now, though, it’s all the more real, because I’m traveling down the same road.
There are a lot of other things that one may feel tempted to give up on in college, such as people. If I had a dollar for every time I got snubbed by someone here or somewhere else, I wouldn’t HAVE to go to college; I could retire a very happy man. But, alas, no one is giving me dollars.
As tempting as it is to become a hermit, I am still resisting the idea because I believe that it’s the attempt that counts. This is what college has taught me. Funny how an institution can teach you the value of not giving up.
The harder the road gets, the easier it is to feel the temptation to give up — to give in to that little voice inside that just keeps on saying, “You know you aren’t ready for this — just throw in the towel.”
And at times, I admit, it’s easier to just listen to that voice than to contemplate the fact that you have two tests, a paper and a major project that you have barely worked on for a class you hate. It’s times like these when one starts to second guess themselves. And it’s very easy to do. I’m going through that right now.
Hell, I’ll be honest. I write for the paper, and I’m not sure if I’m cut out for it. I’m doing my class work, and I’m not sure it’s even worth it.
But I’m not giving up. I’m going to keep banging my head against the wall.
Why? Because I’m stubborn like that, and just dumb enough to ignore the pain.
