Mississippi State University has taught me some very important lessons over the tenure of my career.
I have met many new and interesting people. I have also had tons of fun over the course of five years.
The most important thing that I learned was something that no instructor taught me in class.
Do not rush to graduate from MSU or any other university-unless you attend University of Mississippi.
Do not take this out of context. I am not encouraging anyone to make a career out of being a student.
I am only saying do not be in a hurry to leave school. The real world isn’t going anywhere.
Remember this, you have the rest of your life to work.
I have been here for five years and I am still enjoying college life.
A lot of my friends have graduated, but I still have many still here.
I have my undergraduate degree from MSU, and I hope to be graduating with a master’s degree a year from now.
I hear people talking all the time about how they cannot wait to graduate. They are ready to start working a job and have some real money.
Let’s do a little reality check for those of you who concur with the previous statement.
First of all, you have no real responsibilities when you are in college.
The majority of college students have no significant debt, credit cards excluded, or children.
These are two things that await everyone in the real world unless you are born into an aristocratic family.
Debt in the real world will come in the form of cars, houses and many other things.
Second, you can stay up and party all night in college and not worry about getting up in the morning.
It will not kill you to miss a few classes.
In the real world, you will probably be terminated if you stay out partying and miss work.
Third, you can take random road trips in college at the drop of a dime and not have to worry about things. You can go to sporting events and spring break trips.
In the real world, there are no spring breaks or random road trips.
There is no going to Tuscaloosa for Krispy Kreme donuts at 1 or 2 in the morning because of an urge.
You have to make plans to take the kids with you. You have to make sure you have enough leave time.
You get the picture.
Lastly, you make friendships in college that last a lifetime.
You meet an assortment of people and the bonds you build are amazing.
My father still talks to a lot of his friends from college to this day.
In the real world, you meet people of a different type.
You do not form the same type of bonds that you form with friends in college.
Your private life is often kept separate from your work relationships.
A wise man once told me not to be in a hurry to graduate.
As graduation and the real world loom in the distance, I now understand what he said.
He was telling me that I have all my life to be an adult. I only have a short time to be a child.
I talked to my friends who are working now. They always tell me how much they miss Starkville and MSU.
If I can offer only one piece of advice to entering freshmen and high school seniors, it is this: Be patient and do not rush to leave school.
You may get tired of the papers and life may seem monotonous at times, but school is a wonderful thing.
The old saying “You don’t miss a good thing until it’s gone,” definitely applies here.
Remember: once time is gone, it is gone. There is no getting it back.
Enjoy your years in college, because you will definitely miss them when they are gone.
Nyerere Tryman is a graduate student in public policy and administration. He can be reached at [email protected].