Assistant City Editor
That time of the year again is swiftly approaching. You know, that time of the year. The time of the year when you have three big exams all on the same day, work starts to becomes hectic and your grandma begins calling you to make sure you’re going to be home this year for Thanksgiving. Why? Because she’s never going to forget when you asked to go to San Diego to spend Thanksgiving with a friend and their family for Thanksgiving. Yes, it’s that time of the year.
The impending exam and holiday seasons are generally tough for everyone, but especially for college students. Many students spend much of the time studying for exams, working, all while trying to figure out this thing called life, which is as many of you know, not always an easy task.
Despite the many mixed feeling we may have about the year, it would benefit students greatly to stop every once in a while and smell the roses.
Trying to stay sane in an insane world is often next to impossible. Often times we are entrenched in a culture of complaint, and then saturated with daily news that leads us to believe that the world is in a lot more disarray than what it actually is. But in reality, are things really that bad?
Think about it. We have been given the opportunity to attend one of the best institutions of higher education in the country. The opportunity to receive an education in general, is not one that is afforded to a substantial amount of the world’s population. The fact that we are able to attend the university regardless of sex, race or religion, is truly a blessing.
There is also the subject of First Amendment freedoms that we enjoy as citizens. If I’ve learned nothing else from watching the travesties over in the Middle East, I’ve certainly learned that I am extremely proud to be an American. The right to the freedom of speech and religion are especially important, and the fact that they are generally not infringed upon in critical times like these is something to be thankful for.
I am human, however, and I sometimes too fall into a spirit of complaint at times when it seems that the cards are stacked against me. Just the other day, I was talking to a friend about a test, two major projects and a paper I had due this week. It seemed there was no way I was going to be able to balance work and meet any of my deadlines.
Then, it’s as if something hit me. I stopped, and started thinking about the many times before I’ve been in such situations. And then I began to look at the situation as a challenge, rather than an obstacle. And here I am, at the end of the week, with everything behind me, ready to take on the next week.
The truth is we’re all human, and sometimes we have those days where it seems nothing will go our way. The key to making the situation better is to change your perspective. So next time, try looking at the glass as half full, rather than half empty.
Reubin Turner is a senior economics major from Edmond, Okla. He is the assistant city editor for the Lariat.
