AMY SALISBURY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I generally advise living “in the moment.” The present really is all we truly have; therefore, there is little sense to be made from musing about the past or future. But after a measly 22 years of life, four years of college, and three years as a newspaper editor, I have come to discover that finding perspective is an immutable asset to anyone with a life.

By perspective, I mean not freaking out over things that don’t really matter, quite simply. One of my favorite songwriters, Tom Petty, communicated something that resonated with me from the moment I heard it: “You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You’ll never remember class time, but you’ll remember time wasted with your friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don’t have. Drink ‘til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does…”

While I don’t exactly recommend rampant irresponsibility, sometimes, school just shouldn’t get you down enough to make enjoying your youth a deviant act.

There will be points in your educational career (and actual career) that will make you feel like completing an assignment is the most important fixation you can think of. This too shall pass. I can’t even count the number of times an essay or exam got the best of me and caused me to forget what I should care more about. Relationships with friends, family and loved ones are lasting and real, and the best part is, you don’t get graded on them.

College is about expanding horizons, minds and social circles. Leave comfort zones at home and don’t panic if your homework isn’t finished—the world won’t crumble at your feet. Keep in mind that all of this freedom-driven advice is coming from someone who defines a Type A personality. And I mean every word of it.

This might sound a little crazy, but I gain perspective in the most literal way: I think about the universe—giant faceless galaxies spanning millions of light years spinning beautifully forever. To think about this lovely little oasis we have makes stress go away pretty quick. Cherish the relationships you make with people who affect your heart, not with research topics that affect your transcript (unless that’s your thing, of course).

I hope this advice, given at a time of finals and projects and panic, doesn’t fall on deaf ears (or blind eyes, in this case). Work hard and manage your time, and your experience of college will be the time of your life. Employers don’t care that much about your GPA, anyway.

Photo courtesy of CSUSM.edu