When we first decided to stick around UC Berkeley to take classes this summer, the novelty of the idea masked the reality of six more weeks of school. We were high on the idea of not having to deal with finding a subletter and the possibility of there actually being seats available in the library.
Once this initial joy wore off, we were forced to face the music and the fact that we’re stuck in a classroom during warm summer afternoons. We nursed this self-pity and consoled ourselves with the fact that our poor quarter system friends were still trapped in lecture halls, too. Unfortunately for us, this bubble is about to pop as those quarter-system losers are free this week. As everyone begins to make their way back home, we’re stuck studying for the 19th week in a row.
Luckily, we at the Clog have some perspective to shed on the situation. The next time your friends from home send you a Snapchat of them lounging on the beach or eating at your favorite local taco shack, just keep these little nuggets of wisdom in mind.
Don’t be bothered when your so-called friends gloat about their beach days. Sure their skin may be beautifully bronzed by the sunlight, but we’re basking in the brightness of our future. The classes that we’re taking are an investment in our education that is worth far more than days spent as beached whales on the shore. We’re learning more in one week of lecture than our friends will learn in all of their beach days combined. Plus, our chances of contracting skin cancer are drastically lower than theirs because we haven’t been able to enjoy the outdoors for about 19 weeks.
The time that we spend here will make our homecoming all that much more sweeter. It’s like when you first sip that water the morning after a long night of partying, no beverage has ever tasted better. Each additional day that we spend slaving away in the newly deserted Moffitt Library means our long-awaited break at home will be even more special. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Similarly, separation makes the reunion sweeter.
Speaking of Moffitt, we can guarantee you that there’ll never be so many open seats in the library during the fall and spring semesters. Rejoice in the sea of free spots that are available and the pleasure of knowing that you don’t have to promise to hand over your firstborn child to reserve a study room. Speaking of amazing freedom, can we talk about the fact that Sproul Plaza has been flyer-free for weeks now? People at home may be able to have fun together, but we can walk past Sather Gate unscathed. It’s easy to see who’s the real winner here.
When all of your friends at home spend time together while you’re at school studying for your first round of midterms, just know that they can’t possibly be having that much fun. It may look like they’re having a blast, but let’s be real — the party don’t start till we walk in.
