What would you do if you could travel back in time? Would you gain a fortune in lottery tickets? Would you attempt to charm Grace Kelly? Would you hang with Jay Gatsby types in the 1920s or chill with the Woodstock crowd in the late 1960s? Would you try to avoid your own death? Or would you relive each day to appreciate the small moments and realize that the meaning of life is to live every day as if you had traveled back to notice each blessing?
Although this last scenario is plagiarized from the movie About Time, it’s especially applicable to us as college students, and even more so to us seniors, who likely have looked back on how we might have done things differently. Most of us have only four years at a place that fosters intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual growth. Our time on earth is limited, but our time at college seems minute.
This time limit is daunting when coupled with the Catholic notion that life on earth is the means by which God will judge us as we try to enter heaven. In order to be sanctified, we must prove our worth to God by pursuing our vocation and encouraging others to pursue theirs. This task is uniquely important in college, which is an especially formative period.
As my time to accomplish this dwindles, I have thought increasingly about what I’ve done and all that I haven’t, wondering whether I have sufficiently taken advantage of my time at one of the most academically rigorous universities, and one in which almost all students pursue numerous activities.
I realize looking back that I have chosen leisure too frequently rather than going outside my comfort zone and developing myself in a way that could help others in the future. Sometimes it has been difficult for me to reach beyond the academic sphere, as I have spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about my grades, and while academics are important, it is more essential to discover your vocation. Humans are inherently social, and therefore one’s vocation is almost always found in relationships.
I hope that I’ve positively affected those around me, but to make up for times in which that hasn’t been the case, the advice given here is my last-ditch effort to show God it hasn’t all been a waste. Here are some words of wisdom from my few successes and myriad failures while I have been at Notre Dame, which might help you live like the protagonist in About Time.
- It is okay to have failures, as long as you own up to them, learn from them, and use that knowledge to improve in the future. Doing poorly on a test or upsetting a friend will only define you if you neglect to realize your mistake and improve going forward.
- It’s not all about you. College often is geared toward the individual and distinguishing oneself, but, in reality, learning about others is the best thing you can do while you’re here. Pride distracts us from the things that matter, like practicing gratitude and generosity, which will make both you and others genuinely happy.
- Meet as many people as possible. This gives you opportunities to learn from many perspectives and develop your ability to listen to others, which is an incredibly important trait. Yes, there might be an inordinate number of Chicagoans here, but everyone has unique experiences to share. Not everyone has a great friend group, and if we each reached out to as many people as possible, we could transform campus.
- Become involved in extracurricular activities. Believe it or not, students can find their niche outside of the dorm or the classroom. By taking opportunities to try things outside of your comfort zone, you can learn a lot about yourself and interests you never considered.
- Be genuine. So many people seem to speak in code around campus, whether to or about other people. Gossiping can only hurt, as word will inevitably get around, and it makes no sense to participate in that activity. Let your “yes” mean yes and your “no” mean no. If you don’t want to go with someone to an off-campus event and would like to do something else, don’t lie about feeling sick or agree to attend out of a sense of obligation. Tell that person you appreciate them asking but would rather do something else you planned. People will appreciate your honesty and reciprocate, as long as you don’t sound like a jerk.
- Above all, prioritize your faith. Most of what I have said involves growth tied to humility, and the best thing you can do for interior growth is develop a strong relationship with God. When we die, what will matter most is our friendship with God, so it’s vital that we carve out time for Him. There are chapels galore around campus, so you really have no excuse.
If you take even some of this advice to heart, I believe you will learn to seize each day as an opportunity for interior growth and renewed charity. As opposed to screaming “YOLO,” or “You only live once” and doing something stupid that you will only regret, a true desire to make the most of every opportunity to grow—as our moral time traveler would—enables us to trust in the future and never look back in regret.
Billy Cheely is a senior finance major who really enjoys animals. This year, he has been lucky enough to pet a camel, witness an irate swan chase a frightened goose, and contribute to a squirrel’s obesity by feeding it peanut butter pretzels straight from his hand. To discuss your own animal adventures, email him at wcheely@nd.edu.