The College Labyrinth
By Michael Champion, Communication ’13
I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we have all suffered the madness of being trapped in a labyrinth. I use the word labyrinth because it seems to have more serious connotations to it, rather than the word maze. The labyrinth that I am referring to is none other than the one belonging to college. In this lengthy monstrosity (which includes both undergraduate and graduate degrees), often times one will be trapped in the looming darkness that consumes its halls. At other times, one will solve the clever hints given to them and at other times one will rely on the support of their peers and friends who are also trapped with them.
Take graduate school for example, one will be researching and working on their master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation. During those bleak years, one will run into countless dead-ends; however, some of them make it to the end of the labyrinth whereas others will simply give up and be magically teleported out of the labyrinth. In essence, one should keep in mind that if one is to survive then one should make some serious connections with other people.
Imagine this; an 18-year-old who is hundreds if not thousands of miles from home is going to have a horrid time coping at the university they are now attending. Whereas a person from a city that is a state away from their university will have an easier time coping. In the world we live in, technology has made many things much easier while some things have gotten more difficult. All it takes is a phone call, an email or a Skype session. Given this, one should also keep in mind that their peers and colleagues are available on campus to speak with or to console the individual in question.
Personally, I can remember a time when I was absolutely lost as to what I should do when I was a brand new freshman in college. It is a good thing that I am a local of Melbourne and I was also lucky enough to be able to transfer to FIT from BCC. Extremely large crowds and student bodies make me very uncomfortable, which is why I chose to remain in Melbourne. Once I am done here, I will be attending FSU and I am now seriously prepared for graduate school. My system of support stemmed from getting involved with the baseball programs at both BCC and FIT. Those two programs have been blessings to my social skills. The friends and contacts that I have made in my time as a student manager have bestowed upon me the skills I needed to navigate my way through “The College Labyrinth.”
Given this, I you to make some serious connections while in the labyrinth for they will prove to be one of the most useful lifelines you will discover. May you navigate the maze safely.
