Gratitude and U
By Sam
As students, it can be easy to lose the feeling of gratitude because, let’s be honest, the University experience isn’t easy. While some of the hardships we experience as students are signs that we’re being challenged and growing as people, some of them simply suck. However, these difficulties don’t have to define our University experience — unless you let them. In a famous play, Oscar Wilde wrote that a cynic is “a [person] who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” When we separate the great parts about the University experience from the challenges, we do ourselves a disservice. Ultimately, we’re in University because we think the value is worth the price. It’s time we reminded ourselves why:
Growth
I remember the first day of my second semester at the U of A very well. I was in an intro English class at the time and I remember looking at the syllabus; it said that we would have to read 82 pages for the next class… and I thought it was a typo. It wasn’t.
I didn’t think I could do it. It was the beginning of the semester, how could I be expected to read this much in such a short period of time? In the end, I read all the pages and discovered that I was capable of doing much more than I thought I was. Looking back on that day now I laugh because it would get much, much harder — 82 pages was nothing compared to the assigned readings that I’ve had since. And looking back on this now, I realize that my ceiling is only as high as I think it is.
Being pushed beyond your own expectations is uncomfortable. Having to work harder than you thought you could, experiencing failure, and learning how to overcome setbacks? All of that is difficult, but without these challenges, you can’t truly grow as a person. Growth rarely happens when you’re inside your comfort zone. University offers a beautifully unique environment in which we can be pushed to do more while at the same time having room to fall short.
Direction
Finding out what to do with our lives is one of the hardest parts about being a young person (or a person at all, really). Even for those of us who have strong passions in life, it’s not always clear what path we should take. University gives us a chance to explore different ideas. It’s a time for us to try out different paths. Whether that’s through signing up for an interesting club on a whim or feeling electrified by an idea learned in class.
We’re given space as students to explore what interests us most. Not only that, but we get to live in an environment where discovery and failure are encouraged. It’s okay if you change your major or decide that a particular activity isn’t for you. It’s also okay if you’re not “good” right away at that thing that does interest you. Post-secondary is the time to embrace being bad at things you love and realize that a) you can love them anyway and, b) that everyone learns at their own pace, so you can take time to improve, on your own terms.
Relationships
One of the best and most underrated parts of being a University student are the connections you make. Both professionally and personally, post-secondary offers a unique opportunity for people to establish lifelong relationships. Strong relationships are the bedrock of a rich, happy life, but they’re hard to cultivate as we get older. That’s where the rich networks of the University come in. Between classes, events on campus, and extracurriculars, there are many ways to form connections as a student.
The key to making connections as a University student is that you only get what you give. In my first year, I had a tendency to keep to myself in classes and generally stayed within my existing friend groups. It wasn’t until late in my second year that I really started to make an effort to get outside my comfort zone and make friends. It’s amazing what opening yourself up to new relationships and putting in a little effort can do. All you need to do is try.
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, let us take some time to appreciate all the amazing parts of our lives, both at school and beyond. There are many things to be thankful for, far more than can I share here. The important thing to know is that when you start actively living a life of gratitude, you become a happier and more resilient person in the process. I am so grateful to be a University student, pursuing the life I want, and I am grateful to you, for taking the time to read this article.
