To be a kid just a little longer

A few days ago, I talked with a sophomore friend of mine about college, and I asked him if he had any plans for where he might want to go. He surprised me by stating that he wasn’t thinking about that right now. He then added that he didn’t want to spend time worrying about standardized tests, college, or GPA because he wanted “to be a kid just a little longer.”

Having just come off the heels of four years of grinding to get into a good college, I was totally shocked. I simply couldn’t imagine anyone not worrying about SATs or APs constantly. To be honest, the first thing that crossed my mind was that my friend was being immature and downright lazy about planning for his future. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to see the wisdom that the underclassman had to offer.

It’s no secret that high school tries to force you into the role of an adult, whether you’re prepared for it or not. Since day one, it’s been about finding your perfect school for your perfect career path for your perfect job for your perfect future. For someone like me who’s always been a go-getter and looking toward what lies ahead, I had no problem with pushing forward at top-speed. But not everyone is like that, including my friend. And contrary to what high school might make you think, there’s nothing wrong with that.

We’re all at different stages in our emotional maturity. Ninth through twelfth grade is a period where we end up changing a lot, and some of us take a little longer to get to where society says we’re “supposed” to be by the end of our senior year. Taking our time and stopping to enjoy the little things in life is something that’s being looked down upon by the rest of the world, and I think that it’s unhealthy for students that simply aren’t there yet. It’s the job of schools (and really colleges, too) everywhere to respect where every student is emotionally and work with them where they are, not where they’re expected to be.

Now, of course, it’s important to keep pushing yourself to be a better student academically and a better person overall. But that doesn’t have to come with the cost of losing your ability to live in the moment and enjoy the little things life has to offer. There has to be a balance, and that balance can be achieved by having an administration that knows that every student’s current emotional maturity is valid.

But enough about high school — let’s get back to us, students at Stevens. We as college students may think that our time for “being a kid” is over, but that’s not necessarily true. There’s plenty of opportunities to take a break from studying to see a movie, to dance in your room like no one is watching, or to enjoy an ice cream cone without worrying about the Freshman 15. If you’re ready to push forward and make a future for yourself, then you go for it. But at the same time, if there are moments when you want to embrace the simple joys, you go for that, too. Both are equally valid and admirable, and that understanding can start with you.