The Important Things

by Laken P., Panther Blogger

As the semester goes on, pages and pages of papers are typed, hours are spent studying for exams, sleep is hard to come by, and stress is evident on the faces of nearly everyone. Through all of the academic struggle we endure during the thirteen weeks that make up a semester, it is easy to forget about having fun.  We try so hard to earn every point, make the highest grades we can, and boost our resume in every way possible that the other college experiences are sometimes pushed aside.  As I am over halfway done with my short time in Ferrum, I can look back and say that perhaps the most important lesson I have learned so far cannot be found in any textbook or lecture - it must be experienced.  The best advice I could give to an incoming student is to learn this lesson quickly and value it the entire time you are here.

Halloween!

College is about getting an education and preparing yourself for the rest of your life, but academics is not the only important thing.  How many people can look back and say that they remember the grade they got on one of their mid-terms during their freshman year of college?  Now ask those same people about attending a formal, staying up all night laughing with your best friends, or going to eat at 3 a.m. because you just had to have a milkshake - their memory will be much clearer.  The friends we make and the memories we share will be what we carry with us for the rest of our lives. Don't get me wrong, the diploma hanging on the wall is key to your future, but what does it mean without some funny stories to share along the way?

Bid Day

The Great Fratsby

The amount of time that we are given in college is entirely too short, and before you know it, graduation will only be a few days away.  While it is easy to wish away all of the 8 a.m. classes after the 4 a.m. bedtimes from doing homework, losing these things also means losing the things that make college so special:  getting to live independently and surrounded by all of the people and events that will stay with you forever.

Friends in the Honors Program

Snowball!

This semester was definitely my hardest one to date, but at the same time, I also had some of the best times.  From attending Cirque Musica with the Honors Program to the Snowball, the Great Fratsby Celebration, holding events with the other Greeks on campus and going to Walmart at 2 a.m. to stock up on half-price Halloween candy, I have definitely learned to take in the experience as a whole. The push to have a 4.0 GPA is ideal, but it is not everything.  If you don't balance academics and fun and if you miss out on all that Ferrum and life have to offer, you will definitely regret it later on in life no matter how good your grades may be.