I am not sure what I expected - in concrete visuals, that is. Hundreds of students doing homework on the quad, study groups, or spontaneous all-nighters to complete work are perhaps what I thought I'd see.
My dreams of college were not typical, I suppose; instead of being primed for all-night parties, no curfew and easy avenues to alcohol, I was excited to imagine people gathered together under a great umbrella of ardent scholarship. In other words, I've always been the nerdy girl who gets excited about her textbooks and shiny new notebooks.
I wanted classrooms full of people who took classes to learn and learn because they like to. I had hoped to meet people with whom to discuss history, world events and poetry without the discussion dripping immediately into "that funny thing that happened last night." My basic assumption was that high school was over, college had begun, and the move from point A to point B had weeded out those kids who disliked school, teachers and asking questions.
Oh, AU is replete with na?ve freshman and I, inevitably, am one of them. Although I have never waited in the LA Quad to be considered for an invitation to a frat party, or ever gotten lost on the Metro, I must join the ranks. Silly Melinda, with her "weeding out principle," forgot everything she'd seen on MTV.
Before I go any further I need to mention that I do like being here at AU. With my mentality, how could I dislike it? We're living in the presence of the leaders of our nation. Even though they are all currently in Cleveland, Oh., campaigning - incidentally, I just moved away from there.
We are less than 30 minutes from an overwhelming number of museums and monuments. There is an advertisement for the Smithsonian posted in the Metro tunnel at Tenleytown, which I am sure everyone has seen. It says something like this: Even if you live until you are 90, and visit every day, it is impossible to see every exhibit at the Smithsonian. There is so much fodder for my maniacal brain!
But ask me how many times, since arriving, have I visited any of the Smithsonian museums. Granted, I did see the World War II memorial late at night and walked down the path to visit Lincoln, but I haven't visited the Mall since (unless you count Pentagon City). The problem has become, for me, who to ask along. It seems no one is interested - either they are "desensitized," if you will, to museums in general, or they claim to be so familiar with the D.C. area that the trip would be repetitive.
It isn't the lack of tourist groupies that gets me as much as the lack of interested students in general. I have been told, on more than one occasion, by well-meaning upperclassmen, that students at AU don't study. They don't need to, I was told, with solemn, wise nods; don't take the classes so seriously. The reading isn't necessary; nobody studies. It's possible to coast and keep up your GPA. Hey, why are you still studying? Didn't anyone tell you yet?
Newsweek noticed this prevalent attitude; AU was recently ranked among the top five universities where students don't study.
I, for one, didn't realize it was preferable to forget the near $40,000 education we are all presently subscribing to. This is the first, and perhaps last, time in our lives that gives us the opportunity to learn whatever we want. We are surrounded by professors who must teach us. They know what we must know to succeed. They are, literally, experts in their field. Our teachers are no longer our football coaches; they are highly involved and accomplished. Take advantage of it!
I was told that I would get my money's worth no matter what, because I was buying certification: a college diploma and a bachelor's degree. But I will continue to study, because I want my certificate to mean something. I want my certificate to mean something, even if I'm the only one.
I think the curiosity of a student is an important characteristic, one that I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life. I know that I must have compatriots, somewhere out there. If you're reading this, come find me - I live in Letts.
