Wednesday, 5/14/97 Letters
Reality rules As a recent alumnus, former Viewpoint columnist,
and having had to jump straight into the "real world," I can
sympathize with Mimi Guzman’s column, "The end is near …"
(Tuesday). But I thought I would put in my two cents to illuminate
her fears by giving here a quick glimpse of what it’s like on the
other end of the graduation tunnel. For one thing, I too worried
about whether I should have studied harder and kept my GPA higher.
But now that I am 11 months way from graduation, I couldn’t care
less and neither could anyone else. I am finding out that what’s
more important isn’t how hard I prepared for exams so that I could
ace my classes, but how successfully I can apply what I learned in
those classes to real-life situations. In a lot of ways, exams are
harder than real life situations because professors are looking for
specific answers that sometimes only they know. In the real world,
there are very few specific answers, so you make it up as you go by
applying bits and pieces of what you learned, and if it works, its
good. I can understand your apathy – I was on cruise control for my
whole last year of school – but the good news is that, at least in
my case, real life is easier than college. Don’t get me wrong –
life isn’t without problems – but the problems I face now are real,
and that realness makes it easier to take them seriously, to make
the tough decisions and move on. What I am starting to realize now,
and I couldn’t see when I was in school, is that everything in my
life is up to me, and that it’s fun and not as scary as I thought
it would be. About going back to campus after graduation, yes it’s
freaky. Imagine, if you will, graduating from a school with a
typical student union with some areas to hang out, some student
services and a bookstore. Now imagine coming back to visit this
student union, and it’s gone, in its place though is a minimall
complete with a Clinique counter. About studying abroad, yeah I
wish I had done it, but there is still a way to make this right.
Save up a few years worth of vacation time and some traveling
money, and I can go abroad and I won’t have to study while I am
there. So what I am saying here is don’t worry about going back –
forward is a much better direction. Now that you are finishing your
last bits of school you can forget all about it and start making
the life that you have always wanted for yourself, whatever that
may be. It’s all up to you now, so go at it with all the energy
that you are kicking yourself for not giving to your school work.
College didn’t deserve it, but your real life after college does.
Juan T. Alvarado 1996 graduate Socialism still the wrong choice I
am ecstatic over Tuesday’s article "Socialism blocks path to
progress." It is so rare, especially on a college campus, to hear
the truth. The author stated the truth simply and honestly and in
ways that so many people would want to but couldn’t, as well as
those who never heard the argument of the truth to begin with. It
is refreshing, regardless of your point of view, to hear this
viewpoint, especially on a campus where you can hear a debate
between Maoists and Trotskyists on Bruin Walk. My commendation goes
to the author who had the guts to say it like it is. Daniel B. Rego
Pre-political science First year