The wisdom that comes with age

Fall is probably my favorite season when I’m at Duke. Growing up in the seemingly perpetually sunny Los Angeles, I never realized the complete and total lack of seasons. I was under the impression we had all of them. But then I came to the South and was amazed to discover that leaves do, in fact, collectively change colors and that autumn is a real occurrence. And I fell in love with the sights and flavors and the overarching beauty that is fall.

So it’s to my dismay that we’re now entering that time period where everything just kind of dies. The leaves are shriveling up and the temperature is dropping to below what my body can handle. Thanksgiving break is this week, last week of classes is next, then it’s finals, and just like that, the semester is over.

We’re a mere three weeks away from the finish line, which for a lot of students brings about a flurry stress, anxiety and perhaps a little nausea. Time is running out to raise any slacking grades and prove ourselves academically, all of which can crumble into destruction anyways depending on how finals go. Undoubtedly, the end of the school year matters, so it can be difficult to focus on anything other than doing well in this final stretch. Extraneous thoughts usually still have something to do with how horrible the current situation is. But as I’ve gotten older—still difficult to grasp I’m a junior—this part of the semester has taken on a very different tone. I feel like freshman and sophomore year are often bound up in insecurity and uncertainty along with mental and emotional exhaustion. At this point last year, I was done with Duke—at least for the time being—and wanted nothing more then to be home for break.

But as a junior, I’ve become less inclined to wish away any part of my college experience. As a first or second year, it’s easy to feel like the world is falling apart and every mistake—whether academic, social or otherwise—is detrimental to the rest of our lives. But I’ve found that, incredibly, life goes on. No matter how difficult an exam or frustrating a paper or impossible a class, I will be okay. Even when life seems overwhelming and all around terrible, there is no place else I’d rather be. I like to consider it the wisdom that comes with being an upperclassman. It doesn't mean junior year is any less stressful or riddled with obligations, but merely that I no longer allow the current crisis to determine my overall outlook.

People used to say that fall of junior year would be the worst—over-loaded with classwork, internship searches and an overarching concern about my entire future. Plus, most juniors are abroad so I was told I'd probably also have no friends. And while some of this may be true, I can't assign such a dismissive evaluation of these past few months. Every semester, and I would go as far to say every day, is great—even when it's bad—simply because I'm able to be here. And so it's a shame that as we reach the end, it's easy to forget this crucial fact. It's tempting to bury ourselves in Perkins, postpone social obligations, ignore different events that are occurring on campus—all in the name of focusing on why we're here, on "what really matters." It's a delicate balance between school and everything else that we are always trying to achieve. But it's my hope that no matter how our finals week, midterms week or whatever type of week is going, we all take a moment to look up and appreciate the vibrant and dynamic world around us.

Like I said, fall is beautiful here—so take a moment to enjoy it.

Michelle Menchaca is a Trinity junior and the Editorial Page Managing Editor. Her column runs every other Monday.

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