“I think it’s really cool that our professors here have real world experience through their occupations,” I said.
“Yeah, well, it’s probably because we’re all from small liberal arts schools and we’re actually willing to learn unlike people from state schools or community colleges,” she said.
I responded to this with a gawking look that closely resembled a deer caught in headlights. I’ve been in Denmark for about three weeks, and I’ve quickly gotten used to sly comments like these that undermine large schools in order to permeate the small-school mentality that many students at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad have.
It’s stuff like this that makes me cringe. Entitlement runs deep among many of my peers, but I’m not going to banter pointlessly about how wrong they are. After all, the haters gonna hate. I know my school, as big as it might be, is a fantastic establishment for well-educated and productive human beings.
Along with this knowledge, I thought it was interesting that she threw IU into a heaping laundry pile of community colleges and other state schools. Firstly, community college is often the only way some can be educated.
Secondly, state schools offer a bevy of opportunities that tinier, liberal arts schools simply cannot boast merely because of their small size while also usually being more affordable.
Attending a school with 40,000 other individuals comes with its challenges, yes, but the great thing about IU is we accept challenges with a smile. We are constantly pushing ourselves to get more involved — whether it be joining a student organization, dancing in IU Dance Marathon or attending call-out meetings for new clubs. We’re not only active academically — we also engage with each other socially.
The only way to find your niche at IU is to find your people. Finding a crew takes time and effort, but it shouldn’t be this grueling experience where socially inept individuals stutter through awkward bouts of conversation.
Tailgates, parties and Little 500 are an integral part of culture at IU. Some may see these activities as distracting, pointless events that encourage alcoholism. Maybe this is true for some, but we also should recognize these events encourage social interaction.
We go to college for a multitude of reasons. The end goal shouldn’t be the only thing that matters. Getting a diploma and a solid GPA will help you get a job, but it won’t guarantee one.
Who wants to remember the best four years of your life as the years you never saw the sunlight because your teacher assigned 500 pages of reading every night?
I’ve found I learn new things each day both inside and outside the classroom. Sometimes your walk from Ballantine to the Indiana Memorial Union in between classes can teach you more about life than a textbook.
jlkarl@indiana.edu
