ROUNDING THIRD AND HEADING FOR HOME...

It’s hard to believe it. I’ve gone through three years of college and now, there’s only one year left. The time has seriously just flown by. Do I have any regrets? Maybe a few but overall, what I’ve experienced these past three years has been beyond what I thought I’d experience when I first stepped foot in Athens. The friends, the fun times, the stressful times, the classes, the professors, the jobs and yeah, even the fateful night in July that landed me in a place I hoped I’d never be.

But as I look back at this past school year, all I can do is smile. It was easy at times but also hard in others. Fall and spring quarters were cakewalks academically but winter quarter…well, it pretty much kicked my ass. I’ve never worked harder to keep grades up than that quarter. Words of wisdom to the young ones who read this blog: don’t stack a ton of hard classes in one quarter, even if you think it’s because it’s winter and you’ll study more because it’s cold. That’s not exactly true…and I should know. I am a PreCollege advisor. To get an idea of the classes I took this quarter, just take a peek at this:

Basketball Officiating, Football Officiating, Recreational Sports Officiating, Class Piano, Ultimate Frisbee, Beginning Swimming, Intro to Acting, Jogging, Sportswriting and Intro to Coaching

So as I said, pretty easy class load. So that wasn’t a problem this year. Instead, in true Matt Barnes form, I decided to stack my time in my jobs. It’s sad when most of the stress I feel during the week comes from my jobs and not academics but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes. Gridiron Glory was fun work. It was my chance to be creative, learn new things and interact with the community. Being a tour guide had its high points as usual (lying to prospective students is always fun) but it also had some rough spots. The job that made me lose the most hair was my job with Intramurals.

I did a ton of work. I also slacked off at times but still got things done. I tried new things in hopes of improving the program. Some worked and some bombed. No matter what I did though, I never felt like I got any credit for it. I got plenty of complaints but never any compliments. In the three years I’ve worked for them, I’ve loved every second of it, seriously. Even when I’m getting yelled at on the bball court or flag football field, I love it because I know that their complaints are either worthless or dead wrong. And come on, we all like to be right, especially when it comes to someone screaming at you. But anyways, this year, there were multiple moments where I was close to quitting and I hate doing that. I’ve never quit anything in the middle of the year but damn, I was sure close. It wasn’t worth the grief, stress and sure as hell not worth all the work I was putting into the job. Thankfully, the year ended somewhat positively and I’ll be back for one more year of IM excitement but man, that was a ride.

What else happened this year? Well, lots of things and I don’t wanna bore you with it. But as I write this, I can’t help but think about the year that lies ahead. It’s the last one at OU and honestly, it scares me and excites me at the same time. Part of me doesn’t want to graduate. Instead, just try and Van Wilder this next year and stretch it out as long as I can. I’m already doing that now though by staying the entire year though I only have 3 classes to take. The college atmosphere is just so comfortable. Friends are no more than 15 minutes away. Responsibilities are there but can be forgotten every weekend. Mistakes can be made without a job being on the line. The thought of heading into the real world and all of that being snatched away from me…yikes.

What scares me the most is the job hunt. I’m interning now and all everyone wants to talk about is my résumé tape. The LAST thing I want to think about is my résumé tape. It’s my final summer as a college student. I want to see movies, drink beverages, hang with friends and sleep in. I don’t want to have to worry about where I will be a year from now but the reality is, I have to. I hate the saying “The early bird gets the worm” but sometimes, that saying is exactly right. If I get my stuff in order, I’ll be in great shape. If I procrastinate (which I LOVE to do), then I might be kissing some great jobs goodbye. So what am I doing now? Working my ass off at this internship, gaining as much insight as possible and yeah, even paying $100 for a subscription for a website to start looking at sportscasting jobs around the nation. I’m more than a year away from my first real job and I’m laying the groundwork now. Damn you real world.

It’s hard not thinking about the upcoming year but everyday, it creeps into my mind. Whether it’s just discussing the next season of Gridiron Glory, the future of the OUIM officiating program, future story ideas for WOUB, new lies for my tours or just personal goals for myself, I can’t stop thinking about it. I mean, maybe that’s a good thing. I’m getting ready and I won’t be surprised by anything. Oh, who am I kidding? I have no clue what’s coming next but you know what, that’s what great. I didn’t know where I’d be three years ago either and I’m pretty damn happy right now. So hey, just like the first three years, I’m gonna play this last year by ear. You know, hakuna matata. Senior year is gonna be fun, I know that for sure. It’s what after senior year that isn’t clear at all…