Scene
One Last Column: Student Life Senior Jared Adelman
Wow, what a rollercoaster ride it has been. There were many ups and a few downs that all came at me way too quickly. And as the coaster pulls into the station, I return to the one adage that has defined my four (okay fine 3.5) years here: “The weeks feel like days and the days feel like weeks”
The Truco games played in the Eliot B third floor common room made, for just an hour or so, the pandemic fade into the background. A frigid Thanksgiving Day ultimate frisbee game brought out my inner child in a way that I thought was impossible. Going hiking in Lone Elk Park on a Wellness Day broke the WashU bubble which had felt all-encompassing since move-in day. And now, these formative memories feel so far away.
Now, with the prospect of a full-time job staring me down, part of me would want nothing more than for this journey to start all over again. But in some ways that defeats the ultimate purpose of college. The fact that semesters wizz by despite so much happening is what leads to the personal growth that defines young adulthood. In almost no other period of life are four years as formative as they are now. And while that is absolutely terrifying, I’m beyond thankful for what WashU has given me, hundreds of thousands of dollars later.
So for the unsolicited corny piece of advice that nobody cares about, I would say lean into the time warp of college. The longest midterm weeks that you want to end balance out the breaks that never feel long enough. So while some weeks feel like years and others feel like days, this mixture prevents the monotony that defines the working world from setting. The oscillating ups and downs make college what it is.
Lastly, I cannot thank my StudLife family enough for the many ups you’ve given me. Yes, that even includes production night (most of the time). I am unbelievably excited to see where Avi, Nina, and the team take this paper; things are looking up (no pun intended) in a way that seemed impossible just a few years ago. And for my fellow seniors, an extra special thank you. In specific, I cannot thank Via and Clara enough for allowing a podcast nerd into the managing team and dealing with my many unhinged rants, valid or not.
May the weeks feel like days and the days feel like weeks,
Jared