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You’re not in high school, anymore

 If you’re trendy, then you probably had a moment during the holiday break when you either revealed the color of your underwear or rigged said garment with an explosive.
  With underwear making recent headlines, I found it appropriate to point out how silly it is for the student body to soil themselves in fear after only one week of class.
 Hope you had enough time over the weekend to clean yourself up and put on your big boy/girl pants, because college is NOT for the faint of heart or fragile bladders.  College, in the academic sense, is not like high school.
  In high school, you had teachers that would go out of their way to throw you over their shoulder and baby you into a passing grade. Whether it was out of pity or “No Child Left Behind,” some students could crank out the bare minimum and still be awarded with a degree.
   Fortunately, professors aren’t being paid to be merciful. They’re paid to teach you their craft and they aren’t putting up with the Georgia Board of Regents to give you a free ride. Failure to learn or meet their expectations is a failure on your part, not theirs.
   I know it’s a radical idea, students taking responsibility for their own education, but it does make sense. We, the students of VSU, are not helpless children and we shouldn’t act like it. We have the internet, the Student Success Center, classmates, professors, and a brand new Starbucks.
   There should be nothing on any of your syllabi that cannot be handled with a few search engines, class discussion, and the caffeinated poison of your choice.
   Now don’t get me wrong, Blazers. I understand that college can be difficult. Even dedication and a strong work ethic don’t guarantee that you’ll be safe from stress or a series of mental breakdowns.
   However, you should take comfort in the fact that it’s all part of the college experience. You came here to learn about the real world and how to score a great job in that world. It’s why you pay thousands of dollars to attend a university.
   At least, that’s where most of the money should be going to. Although, I suppose you could count the new Student Union as a recreation and relaxation expense.
   The point is that we need to show a little more backbone and responsibility. College is hard. So what? Millions of students before us have managed to survive universities worldwide, which should be enough to prove that this work is not impossible.       Sure, some of us will have to work harder than others, but that is life. And no, that’s not an invitation to make excuses for yourself. Instead, it’s a challenge to overcome them.
   Oh, and in case you were wondering: red/gray striped.

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