Why I’m not at my desk (and my eyeballs are still intact)

I was homeschooled all the way through my pre-college education. But not the pj’s all day OR denim jumpers with ankle length hair kind. We were in the middle – I think with a happy balance. I had the opportunity to take classes (language, science, writing, and math tutoring) outside the house during high school, so getting to college wasn’t a complete shock.

The kind of studying college requires is much different than what I had experienced. In the last year, I’ve found that classes challenge me in a way that causes me to thrive (when I put in the effort) and that I enjoy (sometimes). But getting to that point can be really annoying.

Being more of a kinesthetic learner, reading assignments are a drag. I do not enjoy them. And quite honestly, I rarely sit down and read an entire assignment word for word without skimming some and reading the highlights. My brain just sees the page and is like “Really? I have to read all this? Time to get sleepy!” Of course, being tired doesn’t help. But reading just makes me tired (not to mention the fact that I don’t necessarily remember the majority of what my eyes read).

Working out problems, be it math, economics, or psychology, is much more interesting to me.

Writing is better. I can be a little more creative. Just PLEASE don’t give me a super long paper assignment. (Hmm, yeah. I looked at my class syllabuses, and know I have a couple coming).

Something I simply do not understand is when teachers give you a ginormous amount of homework that is not realistic to complete. Whether it is during the week or over the weekend, I seriously do not have 2 hours a day to devote to each of my classes. Is that ridiculous of me? Am I just not a super academically-inclined person?

Well, let’s think about the math: I’m taking 6 classes. Most of my professors say that I should devote 2 hours to homework for every hour in class.

Hours in class each week: 17

Hours expected to do homework each week: 34

Total time expected to devote solely to academics each week: 51

“HAHA!” You might say. “That’s just like having a job.” And it’s true. Some people work over 60 hours a week. And you know what? I think they are crazy.

When God made humans, he didn’t say “Here are these fabulous people I have made to sit at desks and study until they gorge their eyes out when they can’t take it anymore.”

He made us to be with each other. Not to sit alone and study.

I don’t know about you, but I cannot sit and study for long periods of time. I get tired. It bores me. It surely depends on the subject, but much of the time I’d rather be working on an article, or arranging things for Ravens Respect Life, or reading a good book, or talking with friends. Some of my most favorite memories from college so far have been the nights where I stay up until 3am talking with friends. Or when we recently made “The Catholic Game of Life”. The funny thing? I don’t remember the nights where I stayed up to write a paper. Those are not what I’m going to remember about my college experience years from now.

Right now I’m trying to find a balance between making memories and still making college worth the money. Don’t worry. I do my homework, and I’ve never failed a class. My education is not going to be flushed down the loo. I’m not planning on it. That might freak you out. Maybe you’re the kind of person who blows a gasket if you don’t get an “A”. But me?

I’ve met wonderful people, I have learned a lot, I’ve made memories I will never forget, I’m finding the joy in random adventures, and I am becoming a better person. In 50 years, will I look back and wish I did 5 points better on a test? Probably not. Would I regret not meeting people and making the most of this time in my life? Yes, I think so.

And that is the long explanation for why you won’t find me studying all the time.