This can’t be happening….

Alright people, don’t get me wrong here when I write this entry. I just have to write this out since well, keeping it in my head sometimes makes my head hurt (though that might be Hirz’s blog)

So I am in my 8th quarter of college, third year, just 21 credits shy of being a college graduate. Yea, college graduate. Two very scary words that will be used for me very soon. What’s troubling though is that as I prepare for the end, I am finding myself “coasting” to the end. You know what coasting is. When you begin to just go with the flow, do what asked and nothing more and reap the benefits of still getting things done. Well, I find myself doing that very thing this quarter. I don’t know when it started nor can I find a way to stop it but it’s kinda weird right now.

I like all my classes this quarter. Literally, all of them. Yea, I complain about some of them, whether it be length, amount of reading, lecture time, etc… but I truly believe every class this quarter is making a better member of society and a better broadcast journalist. So I really do not why I feel this way. One of my classes is piano. Needless to say, no extra work is really needed. I just show up for class every day and play what’s on the paper. Yea, I should be practicing for future pages but why do that when not doing that is getting me by just fine? Same goes with another one of my classes. It’s called Broadcast News Seminar but I like to just think of it as a class where we just sit and discuss different aspects of the TV industry. Of course, there are readings here that I periodically read but I am finding that whether I read or not, we stray away from the topic and after about ten minutes, it doesn’t even matter if you read or not.

Aight, I know what you are thinking? Why the hell do you care Matt? You’re getting paid to go to school, you’re taking classes that are apparently not hard and you are in the middle of your favorite month. I understand that but this is college and I’ve always has this feeling that it should be tough. It should make me study every night. It should drive me to the library for late night studying. I even thought that as graduation approached, the going would get tough and the tough would get going to study. Instead, graduation is approaching and I find myself bored every night, watching dumb MTV shows that don’t even come close to appealing to 20-yr old black guys like me or playing Sonic the Hedgehog for only about 30 min since I can’t get past the 3rd stage.

So what should I do to get these coasting feeling out? I don’t know. Some could say that I should just assert myself more and start working harder in these classes. I would do that but I am perfectly content with a B or higher. I no longer strive for A’s. Grades are important but what you get out of the class means so much more in my opinion. Some might say maybe you need a challenge. I disagree with that too. I take on a challenge of waking up everyday already. I also still work two jobs and volunteer at a TV station so whatever challenge I take on probably just wears me out instead of fires me up. Maybe what I need is a wake-up call. You know, something like a big F on a paper that motivates me to get focused. Maybe a pop quiz that throws me for a loop. I don’t know what I need but I know one thing: I am getting by this quarter without breaking a sweat.

I’m not bragging. I am truly concerned. Is this education working, as in I’ve learned so much, I can learn no more? Am I not putting enough emphasis on my academics, as in giving more time to tours, IM and TV stuff than working on class stuff? It could be a variety of reasons so I don’t wanna find the answer now because again, the headache may come back. But I will say this. If college begins to turn into senior year of high school, then yikes…I’m in for a good final three quarters.

I have no advice here, nor do I think this blog entry was necessary. This was simply my way of blowing off a little steam. Now that I have written it though, I think I feel a little better because now that I’ve talked in a circle, I think I know why this “coasting” is occurring. It’s called getting into that quarterly flow. A flow that keeps you moving without too many hiccups. Yea, that’s it. I’m just in a flow. I’m in a zone and now that I look back, I strive for this at the beginning of every quarter. Maybe this quarter, I just didn’t expect it.

Look out for my V-Day blog entry regarding V-Day and other material. It is sure not to disappoint. And by that, I mean there will be probably be some responses to my take on the dreaded holiday. Until then, HAKUNA MATATA