Most of you probably saw the Arizona Kentucky game this past Monday. It was one of the best finals the NCAA has seen in many years. It was the first time a four seed has won. That four seed beat three number one seeds to win. Those three number one seeds (Kansas, UNC and Kentucky) are also the top three programs in the country. The game was sent into overtime after a last minute three-pointer-to-tie by Kentucky.
Now this was admittedly one of the most exciting games we have seen in a while, and even those who don't follow college basketball turned out to watch it. Much to my disappointment, however, my roommate was not among them. Though he is admittedly a big sports fan, he felt that his work could not wait that night, so he spent his time booking it while the rest of campus watched the overtime.
This certainly set me thinking about his values, in contrast with my own. Even at this early stage in the term, I had reading that I needed to catch up on, but I didn't choose to do that. I instead sat down for a good three hours to watch two teams (neither of which I particularly like) battle it out for the national championship. Why did I do this? I guess that I believe that there is more to life than work.
I also hold the belief that everything will work out eventually. Though I may not have gotten done what I needed to that night, I know it will get done eventually. I also figured that the time I lost watching the game would not be so valuable as to make any real difference in my grade in that course.
It seems to me that his set of priorities is somewhat out of whack. I don't mean to suggest that schoolwork is somehow unimportant, but I do mean to suggest that whenever you allow one thing to consume your time, you lose out. There is more to life than just schoolwork, and that includes big games, big parties and small talks. I can think of another occasion where I and a couple of other hallmates were having one of those deep late night discussions. While my studious roommate found the conversation interesting, he nonetheless felt he had to go to bed because he was going to have a busy morning. He missed out on an evening that the rest of us still refer to many months afterwards.
While it is true that too many parties, too many late nights, or devoting all your time to watching sports will be very destructive, if you abstain from all of these activities, then what is it that you are working for? Work is simply a means to an end. It is important to remember that it is not an end in and of itself. There are more important and enjoyable things out there.
Of course, as students, our definition of work is different than it may be in the "real world," wherever that is. Work for us is to educate ourselves, which is not a bad job. It is enjoyable if you approach it with the right attitude, and it leads us to a better future. It is important to remember that our education here is not limited to that which is assigned. Our education also encompasses what we learn in the dorms, the fraternities and the dining hall. The social skills we learn and the growing up we do in these settings are just as important as the facts and skills we learn in the classrooms on campus.
So live a little; the work can wait.
