College is potentially the only phase in life where all of your favorite people are in the closest proximity to you at all times. Everyone always discusses how this is one of the best parts of the undergrad lifestyle, and the one that many people mourn losing post-graduation.
But at the end of the day, you’re in college to learn and earn your degree, eventually setting yourself up for success for the rest of life that proceeds these four years. It can become difficult to remember this, differentiating the times between work and play.
Home Away from Home
You spend your day attending lectures, studying for the important exam you have coming up and feeling like you’re withering away from too many formulas and practice problems. At the end of the day, all of that hard work pays off because as soon as the sun sets you return home to sounds of laughter from the kitchen and music in the living room.
This is the joy of roommates. Every day and night is reminiscent of those slumber parties you would anticipate so heavily in middle school.
But what about those times when the work from the day must trickle into the night? When you can’t come home and remove yourself from all your responsibilities in order to hang out with your friends?
Work Hard Play Hard
The old saying rings true and it can become one to live by for many students during their time at university. At the end of the day, we’re all here on the basis of education. Of course there are many other aspects that go into the college lifestyle beyond just academics, but they can’t overshadow your learning.
Having to pass up that spontaneous Wednesday night pregame and night out can definitely suck. Hearing your roommates playing your favorite party song, thrilled for their night ahead while you’re stuck in your bed. But you know what will suck even more than missing that one party where we can almost guarantee will be the same as the one the week following? Failing the exam that makes or breaks the difference in a full letter grade in the class you put an immense amount of effort into all semester. Or missing a lecture where the professor gives out information for the largest project in the class just because you were too hungover to attend it.
Moral of our story, it’s okay to miss out on certain moments in order to put your education first when necessary. We understand the desire to savor all the time you can in these four years with your best friends but not at the expense of your learning.
Have you ever experienced Roommate FOMO? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram @VALLEYmag!
