One of the most significant aspects of our college years is supposedly preparing for what parents and teachers have often called the Real World. The big picture they’ve been emphasizing, however, is not the Real World that exists today, but the Real World that exists after we graduate. Therefore, we’ve been influenced to focus primarily on the future. And so, while we experience this undergraduate process, some of us become so distracted that we often disregard the current Real World.
Information leads to knowledge, and never before has it been so readily available. By using computers, television, newspapers, and radio, we can become informed and educated about situations and developments outside our Maryland campus. But what do some of us do instead of using these sources for knowledge? We forward old jokes via e-mail on the computer, watch sitcom reruns on TV, find the cartoon section in the paper, and listen to our favorite radio stations.
Comparatively speaking, current events from the Real World that aren’t brought up in conversation in dining halls or at parties are apparently of little importance to students. They are more concerned about their classes, relationships and personal experiences. Even if they hear out about a scandal, triumph or tragedy, students have other things on their minds. Passing an exam, mending a broken friendship, and making plans for the weekend are already quite a number of things to consider. Crashes, shootings, and bombings aren’t really important compared to the tragedy of having to take a class over again, losing a friend, and having a boring weekend.
It seems selfish, but some students can only do so many things with the lifestyles they choose and the resources that go along with them. Time is the most important resource, with effort coming in second. College students often seem like they are fighting the clock. And if they’re going to do something, it will probably be in their best interests.
Ask an average student what his or her best interests are and they will tell you that having fun is at the top of the list. After sitting in classes all day and listening to professors share their views on policies and theories, the chances of being able to sit in front of the television and take an active role in watching the six o’clock news will be slim. Who wouldn’t want to “veg” out and watch another silly episode of “Seinfeld” instead?
Students simply prioritize when considering what’s best for them. Getting good grades, having relationships, keeping in shape, having fun, and determining career plans are some of the most popular priorities of students. How can a California earthquake realistically relate to their lives at this point in time? Unless friends or family live out there, what happens in California is trivial compared to the traffic a commuter student is going to have to face at night.
We could show compassion about the experiences that people go through and the lives that are forever changed, but we don’t have much time to reflect on their misfortunes. Even if we had more time, we may not even make more of an effort to consider their lives. Hell, we don’t have enough time to consider every aspect of our own lives.
And we’re still college kids, no matter what the law says. We may be responsible for our actions, but while we’re finishing up our teenage years and beginning our twenties, it’s apropos that we’re talking about movies and concerts rather than economics and politics. Is it really necessary to change our personal preferences when it comes to current events?
Unless we’re taking a class that requires knowledge of the current Real World or we have a relationship with someone who does have that knowledge, there is nothing wrong with disregarding the present as long as the future remains in mind. We won’t be conditioned to never consider Real World events after graduation. After we leave campus, we’ll be immersed with national and international news and events.
For now, while we work on determining what to do with our futures, the important news is whether or not a movie theater will exist on campus this fall and if the fountain on McKeldin Mall will have running water by the beginning of the semester.
Jared Meyer is a senior finance major presently spending the summer in NYC. Reach him at jmmeyer@wam.umd.edu.
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