Signing my break away

I love winter break. The minute summer is over, I start making plans for what I want to do on break. I think about what books I’m going to read, how much sleep I’m going to get, and all types of crazy stuff. It only makes sense that I’ve been anxiously awaiting December 13th for quite some time now. But just recently, I made a decision that will change my break drastically.

I signed up to take the GRE in January, just a couple of weeks after break ends and the new semester begins. This means studying, practice testing, and reading up on the exam and all the rules so that I don’t mess anything up that day. What’s worse is that when I’m doing something other than this, specifically when I am relaxing and enjoying myself, I’m going to have that guilt feeling you get when you know you should be doing something else even though you just want a break. And that feeling is probably one of the worst things ever. But I very intentionally signed up for the test so close to break; with no classes or student orgs going on, I can use all of that time I would be spending on those things to study.

Except I’m not going to school right after graduation. I’ve been dying to get into the real world the moment I had a taste of it at my first internship. I am hoping more than anything that I will have a job lined up after graduation. At some point in the next 5 years (that’s how long your GRE score is “good” for), I plan on attending graduate school, whether online or through night classes. I don’t want to have to choose between work and receiving an education; I really want to do both at the same time. I realize that will be hard, but it’s something I want to do.

What I’m hoping you get from this is to think about your life and what you want. While everything may seem so far away and unimportant right now, sooner than you believe, it will be time for you to start making big decisions. Somehow, I’m here in my senior year, signing up to take a test to further my education once more. And even though I don’t have a definitive plan at this time as far as when I will apply to grad school or where I will be applying, I know this is something I want to do.

Don’t just think about the here and now. While that is important, it isn’t the only thing. If I did that, I wouldn’t have signed up for the test because I want to enjoy break. But we also need to consider our happiness later and what our actions now mean years from now.

So if you take anything from my rambling, please think about what you want to do when you graduate. Make decisions today that will make you happier tomorrow. And remember that our time here is short. Enjoy it.

Holly Brenza is a senior majoring in English and minoring in communications and management. In her spare time, Holly enjoys playing with her puppy, Bear, and watching the Blackhawks and White Sox, reading and trying out new recipes. After graduation, she hopes to work in public relations.