Part of Growing Up Includes Walking in the Snow

I threw the covers of my warm cocoon off this morning and climbed down my loft ladder, eyes half closed. The heat of the room kept me resting as I fumbled for my contacts and put them in my tired eyes. I stumbled down the stairs to wash up and quickly retreated back to my desk where I opened my computer to Facebook.

I was immediately confused as to why highschool friends were posting about school delays and I figured it was the freezing temperatures that changed the instructional times by an hour or more so students didn’t have to come in with frostbite after waiting for the bus.

Pulling open the shades, I realized I was wrong. It had snowed overnight and it was still snowing. Class wasn’t cancelled for this student.

Throwing on Uggs and a coat, I made my way down to class. The snow was slick as I walked the back way through the parking lot to my building. I made down the many concrete stairs and then proceeded to “ski” down the hill. I was sliding and there was no way to stop.

Finally, I arrived at my classroom—early as I had planned and shook the snow off my hair in the bathroom. I glanced out the window every so often as the hour and 15 minutes trudged by and saw nothing but white.

I made my way back outside when class was finished being careful to lift my feet with each step as I know knew that my boots have absolutely no traction.

Upon my retreat to my room, I opened up to Facebook again where I saw tons of statuses from high school students saying “yay! Snow day! Just woke up!!” and then the college students “ugh. Walking through the blizzard to class L”.

I realized that walking in the snow is a part of growing up.

Younger students get school off because they can’t make it their on their own. Buses are responsible for arriving on time and picking people up to get them to school.

In college, you are responsible for yourself as always. Your world doesn’t stop because a little precipitation falls from the sky. Just like the work world (adult world), your arrival to class is mandatory whether you slip and slide your way there or get dropped off calmly at the door.

People are sad when they need to walk in the slush but even sadder when the homework piles up because class was cancelled. The same as if a person missed work and had double to do the next day. The only difference is that person gets paid with cash. Students get paid with education.

While skiing to class may not be my favorite thing, I now can say I don’t mind it. It means I am older, more mature and more responsible than those sleeping in and watching TV for 12 hours straight. It means that I am on my way into the real world.