The Three Convergents of College Life 1

Xochilt Sanchez

SarahLawrence College, Class of ’14 

Hometown: Los Angeles 

  High School: School for the Visual Arts and Humanities ’10 

 “The Three Convergents of College Life” 

 I’ve been living at Sarah Lawrence College for 7 weeks now and I sit here typing this while simultaneously blasting the Chili Peppers out my laptop it finally struck me— really struck me; I have complete control over my experience here. It is completely up to me to make this worth it. 

 Unlike high school there is no fixed 8am-3pm schedule, no daily classes, and no… seating chart (haha, seems kind of trivial). Unlike home, there is no one here to remind you to do your work, to clean your room, to shower!! There is a strange kind of freedom that comes along with this educational ‘rite of passage’ but, I love it! I am in complete control of my day and my time. Yet, again I am in complete control of my time. 

 So I am posed with the questions: What to do? What is due and most be done? And what do I want to do? 

 The three convergents of college life… 

 I think of the three papers due next week, the hours of work I have to put in, the conferences with my professors lined up for Tuesday and the work I must present to them, the 8-10 books I have to get from the library by Monday, the mandatory first-year experience meeting, I need to interview all the professors from the Latino Studies department for my new job… Seems pretty overwhelming, right? It can be. 

 So, it’s Friday afternoon and my school day ends at 1pm. Does it mean the weekend starts at 1pm? …With a paper due Monday and another Tuesday, no. 

 I can’t stress the importance of organization and time management enough. It shapes your college experience and ultimately, when done properly maximizes the fulfillment. Since arriving here, my perception of time and the true span of the day have completely changed. Why? Because I have to allocate time for sleep, classes, showers (it is very important), meals, work, assignments, entertainment/procrastination and for friends/family. And it all has to get done, so I plan it out and follow my schedule!! It’s the only way things get done so I can enjoy my free-time!!