The freshman class needs to get it together

As any recent freshman of UF is aware, What is the Good Life? is a course we are all well acquainted with and many question whether it should be a mandatory course. Regardless of that particular discussion, people need to suck it up. Good Life is not a difficult class.

Having personally taken it, I can say that “surviving” the semester did not require an excessive amount of whining- which freshmen currently think is direly needed. Nor time which freshmen regard as too precious to waste sitting in a theatre for two hours attempting to be entertained or, dare I say it, educated. Which, we all know, most of you went and saw 50 Shades of Grey in theaters so please don’t pretend you use all of your hours wisely.

Trust me, I get it. Sometimes we’re not in the mood to see a play or walk around a museum “soaking it all in.” As much as I understand the unwilling nature of the millennial to conform, please fake it. These teachers even added a selfie activity on the program. They are altering their material in order to speak your young adult, can’t-release-my-iPhone-from-my-hand language. Some professor is probably still losing sleep over including the word “selfie” in a lesson plan. What an age we’ve come to. When I had to hear all of you moan walking into the theatre, wearing persistent frown faces, I felt like an old hag who hated young people. Please do not let me feel that way- I will be there soon enough (I’ve got like 5-6 years at least).

Thinking about how different my classmates were to the current freshmen

Oh my dear freshmen, I’m sorry you’re forced to see a school play for free while you’re sitting down in an air conditioned room with conveniently placed restroom locations. I’m sorry you’re forced to immerse yourself in a cultural event happening outside of your dorm rooms and classrooms. I’m sorry you might actually have to talk to someone new or explore campus or a museum, which is conveniently right on campus. I’m sorry most of you decided to leave a play at intermission and confirm once and for all that the freshman class is comprised of a bunch of self-consumed little assholes.

Also, please stop pretending you have lives. It’s 8:30pm on a Wednesday and we all know you are going back to your dorm room, binge watching House of Cards and Facetiming with your dog. But mostly, I’m sorry I had to witness how in just four years an entire class can give off an impression of such overwhelming disappointment. I hope you act better in front of your parents.

Freshman year during our Good Life semester

When I was a freshman and taking Good Life (we all took it, you are not special so please let me finish my hour-long eye roll as you continue bitching about how much it sucks), the majority of my classmates were not unhappy about taking the class. Perhaps a bit confused as to its purpose, but not blatantly complaining. Are you kidding, people had orgo and chem lab to worry about- Good Life was a breath of- if not fresh- less stressful air.

So there are a couple of pop quizzes and some articles to read and maybe *gasp* a book at some point. Welcome to college. If you think this class is a lot, or requires too much of your treasured time, then please pack up your Sperry shoes and your newly acquired frat tank from that one party you went to that one time and go back to high school.

Let us please all agree on one thing, and even if you choose not to agree, we all know it to be true regardless: It could be worse. So you have to read a little, you’ll live. So you have to talk about some experiences you’ve had or what you did on spring break, you’ll get through it. This is not a complicated math class or a demanding earth science course forcing you to touch bugs. Good Life is not… how do you guys say it? Oh yeah, it’s not “the absolute worst.”

“The absolute worst” is going to a football game and losing to FSU

The college experience is supposed to revolve around finding your passions, exploring options, submerging yourself in opportunities and being grateful they are there in the first place. Find new perspectives, look at the world in a new way, meet new people, find positivity and drive in your education and move forward with your life. The Good Life was designed as an obvious plug at achieving all of these things through one syllabus. Even if you don’t like most of what you read or you didn’t get anything substantial out of the material, you recognized what is and what isn’t part of your good life.

My freshmen class seemed to have a much stronger understanding of this concept. Maybe we were smarter? Doubt it. Or maybe we were just more willing to try new things and appreciate not being stuck in a library for ¾ of our college careers.

UF freshmen I still believe in you

Despite the embarrassment of most students currently enrolled in a Good Life course, I did, miraculously, find a few silver linings. Thank you to the Good Life bagger at Publix who told me he liked the play (even if you were just being nice and didn’t mean it- thank you). I was not in the play and I cannot possibly imagine how hurtful it is to see groups of people leave during a show you rehearsed for months to perfect. I am grateful for the people who still have a touch of decency, who respect others, and stayed. I thought this was taught to all kids but apparently some people dropped the ball out there.

Thank you to the adorable girl and boy who smiled and looked like they came together as a first date. I hope you two are still going strong– sending my best wishes your way. And thank you to every person this didn’t apply to. I will of course give a few of you the benefit of the doubt- maybe one or two of you had diarrhea and had to leave but that’s it. Oh, also thank you to the girl in the short shorts for saying “I’m literally dying right now” for making me automatically hate you and for being the inspiration for this article.

Freshmen class, I believe in you. Maybe not from what I’ve seen but I will try to in the future. Look at the bigger picture, try something new, and for the love of God please open up your minds to more opportunities. Just because you are being asked to do something doesn’t automatically mean it sucks.