Hey future Bruins ““ welcome to college. Almost.
Chances are, if you’re reading this and you’re a high school senior who’s been admitted to UCLA, you’re either waiting for a tour of the campus or checking out the area with Mom and Dad observing the “vibrant student life” of this university. You’re probably a little embarrassed to be seen on a cool college campus with your nerdy “‘rents” as they were called back in my day, but don’t worry ““ you’ll be free of them soon (or will you?).
First of all, congratulations on getting into UCLA. You’re probably pretty smart, or really good at sports, or generally better at something than most people are. So way to go. Now you have some deciding to do. Choosing where to attend college is a tough decision, but it’s also an incredibly exciting time. For the three of you current UCLA students reading this column, surely you can remember this time of year from when you were a senior in high school ““ a time of senior ditch days, ghost-riding your dad’s Volvo in the school parking lot and debating where to spend the next four years of your life. Five if you’re lucky.
Now, what you hold in your hands is a valuable document. Not because there’s a crossword puzzle within the following pages, but because I’m offering you a motivational piece that will inspire you to leave your idealized high school memories behind, so that you can confidently enter the mythical world of “college” just a few short months from now.
There are many stereotypes about college life out there, fueled by a steady stream of movies and TV shows that revolve around a university setting (think classics like “Animal House” and a contemporary show like ABC Family’s “Greek”), but this glorification of one’s “college years” is justified ““ because they really are that fun and amazing.
When I was in high school, suffering through the most unbearable social situations and crummy dioramas a human being could ever experience, my momma always told me that college would be the best years of my life. Now that I’m almost through with my third year of college, I’ve realized that she was right, like mommas always are. Consider me your mom for this article.
I wanted to gauge what an average high school senior’s perception of a stereotypical college experience would be, so I called my little brother Morgan, who was at first unavailable for comment because he was busy “making beats at Sean’s house.” Now, Morgan’s a smart guy who’s in the process of making some decisions about where to go to college this coming fall himself, and he obviously knows not to believe Hollywood interpretations of college. But I couldn’t help but ask him how he thinks movies and TV shows portray college life.
“There are hot lesbians making out with each other everywhere,” he said. “And the exchanges between students and professors are really rapid-fire and witty. They make it seem like a completely enjoyable experience that has no real hardship. … They make it out to be mostly just fun and purposeless. It doesn’t seem like anyone has any aims when they’re there.”
This is not entirely true, to say the least. But there are some pop cultural depictions of college that are a bit more realistic that can inspire excitement in all of you incoming freshmen.
One of the best current portrayals of college life is the Web series “Dorm Life,” which also happens to be created by and stars former UCLA students. The show nails the dynamics between different types of people in all of its wonderful and hilarious awkwardness that characterizes much of the first-year college experience. Same with Judd Apatow’s short-lived TV show “Undeclared.”
It’s obvious that every college experience is different, but there are some cliches about college that really are true. It really is a liberating, exciting time where you really can go out and party on a Wednesday, skip class to go to the pool and eat pizza and ice cream for breakfast. It’s like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups cereal commercial, but real.
Here at UCLA, for example, it’s even possible that you’ll have the opportunity to work off that dorm food weight by playing basketball with Adam Sandler in the Wooden Center or run on the treadmill next to Jesus Christ himself (my friend once saw James Caviezel from “The Passion of the Christ” at the gym).
Good luck in making your decision, and remember, whatever decision you make will end up being the right one ““ as long as it’s not USC.
If you’re ready to leave high school for the green pastures of freedom, then e-mail McReynolds at dmcreynolds@media.ucla.edu