Letter: What I’ve learned in the best four years

Monday, December 8, 2008

On Dec. 22, I leave Lawrence without a degree and head for Denver to resume living in my parents’ basement. I’ve made it through three and a half years. Seventy-eight credit hours taken — what have I learned?

I learned that in Lawrence every day may be a holiday, every meal a picnic and every beer a Boulevard Wheat.

But perhaps more importantly, I learned that — in getting a University education — not every professor cares, not every teacher knows, not every text-book is righteous. I learned that words matter, and kids aren’t the only ones watching too much TV. I learned more from three pages of William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well” than I did from English 209 and 211 combined. I learned that littering can put you in jail and that jail is the worst place on earth.

I learned that academic advisers don’t always know what they’re talking about, unless you want to waste your parents’ money. I learned that “undecided” isn’t an acceptable status as a sophomore. I learned to listen instead of to hear. I learned what it feels like to be a national champion (freaking epic).

I also learned a very important lesson from the lyrics of Bob Dylan. Lesson, aphorism, metaphor, creed — it can be called a number of things, but to be sure, it’s something I’ll keep in mind, leaving these best four years of my life behind to continue living: “He not busy being born, is busy dying.”

So long, KU.

— — Nick Petrak is a senior from Overland Park.

Comments

Abita (anonymous) says...

Nick, every student deals with apathetic professors, but most students who call their professors apathetic are the ones who don't turn in assignments, do the readings or attend classes. Ask the students who meticulously do all those things and I bet most of them will tell you their professors are more than helpful.

While reading the right things is very important to writing well, writing is the most important exercise to writing well. I bet you did a great deal more writing in English 209 and 211 that you did after reading "On Writing Well." "Writing writing writing is what burns the fat off your prose." Your professors understand this and that’s why they assign all those frivolous assignments students complain about.

Finally, it has been my experience that the people who succeed in school and in business are not the people who know all the answers. It's the people who ask the right questions. College counselors aren't there to hold your hand. Too many college students take too little responsibility. Take control of your situation and stop being a victim. Seventy-eight hours from three and a half years clearly isn't your advisor's fault.

December 9, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

eloc (anonymous) says...

beautiful

December 10, 2008 at 1:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

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