Memories worth boxing up should be carefully selected
by
Brandon Taylor
The Daily Collegian - PSU
My parents always look for an excuse to come to Happy Valley.
Usually they come to visit me, but occasionally it's for football weekend festivities.
They made the trip again last weekend, bringing with them something unexpected: boxes. Not boxes full of spring clothes, homemade food or my ancient Nintendo video game system, but empty boxes.
With three weeks left before graduation, it was time to begin packing up a few things to send home.
Ironically enough, they brought four. I thought it was a sick joke at first -- four boxes for four years full of memories -- but then I began to think about what I could put into them.
My designated freshman box would be filled with papers and books. That was back when I actually thought I had to do all the assigned readings or fail horribly and get kicked out of college. But I learned quickly. Just as I picked up on the fact that frat parties are sleazy, I also learned that you should never, ever, ever drink in the dorms. Ever.
A certificate reminding me of my "graduation" from the community center's Youthful Offender Program would be placed on the top of the box.
The second box had a hole in the bottom, an appropriate feature since I let far too many opportunities slip through my sophomore year.
I didn't go out as much, especially after a few of my freshman pals transferred or became RAs, and spent entirely too much time in my dorm room.
I somewhat redeemed my anti-social tendencies junior year. The third box would contain my liquor bottle and bottle cap collection.
After turning 21, I found myself frequenting the bars with my new roommate and his group of friends.
I also found myself spending a few nights passed out, face down on the floor.
But they were great nights, and I ended up making even greater friends.
A combination of dress shirts and ties from job interviews, in addition to my obnoxious "Undress to impress" T-shirt would fill the final box.
I was able to strike a pretty even balance between focusing on my goals and having a good time.
I'll admit, I did let my social life get the best of me, burning a few too many bridges or letting valuable friendships fade for the sake of having fun.
I don't regret much from the past four years, but I do regret those relationships I let die.
These boxes full of seemingly useless personal junk taught me a few things I wish I'd learned earlier.
As a young college student, you need to figure out what matters most. Make mistakes, but be sure to learn from them.
Don't waste time. While high school seemed like it dragged on forever, college is entirely too much fun.
One minute you're a freshman lost in the great world of college, and the next you're weeks away from graduation.
Keep your goals in mind, since it's extremely easy to lose sight of why you're here in the first place.
Know your limits. This doesn't just apply to the party life, although I found out very quickly that monkey boys are bad business. There's nothing wrong with taking it easy once in a while.
And have fun, but not too much fun. Remember, these are the best years of your life, but using the excuse "it's just college" won't exempt you from grief after graduation. The friends you make now will be friends for life, but those you may have slighted will be there as well.
It's going to take a few more boxes to get completely moved out. In the meantime, I'll enjoy filling these four with mementos of the good, the bad and the lessons learned.
Brandon Taylor is a senior majoring in journalism and is a Daily Collegian copy editor. His e-mail address is bbt111@psu.edu.
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