The Meat (60/90)

I've never thought that college was overwhelmingly difficult. Until now.

It's just after midnight and I'm laying in bed where I've collapsed after a 13-hour day on campus. This has become the norm. And by the middle of the week, I'm done for. I've got nothing left to give. 

Luckily, my schedule is front-loaded and I can always scrounge up just enough energy and enthusiasm to get through the end of the week without being a zombie dressed in sweatpants and sneakers. 

And that's what I've always believed; college isn't overwhelmingly difficult in the long run. In the day to day, it just takes a lot of time and hard work. It takes the dedication of someone that's willing to keep giving when there's nothing left to give.  

***

This is  our story. The reason that we're counting down the 38 days until the end. 

At this point it has become less about thinking and more about balancing our lives. We've learned some of the big lessons, the ones about professionalism and work ethic, the importance of  thinking strategically and creatively. 

The ones that are learnable in this bubble. 

Now it's time to get down to the nitty gritty. Practical application. And not everything can or will be applied. That's the reality of it all; the one that they don't really mention until you've nearly killed yourself memorizing line after line of useless information. 

But, those that are wise learn to take the meat and spit out the bones.  

***

And in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of those. 

The meat, for me, has had little to do with my my major classes, coursework and projects. Although those things have been wonderful, at times. 

The lessons that I'll be chewing on for a while are the informal ones. The ones that happened during  late-night study sessions in the library, coffee on Friday afternoons and entire days spent in front of the computer, working.  

They are about how to treat people and how to take care of yourself. They are about how to find a passion and have the courage to build a life around the things that you love. They are about being bold and fierce, kind and compassionate. 

And the true test of those, won't happen until this is all over.