My Long Goodbye
An Unsolicited Commencement Speech
Kevin O'Rourke
Issue date: 10/14/09 Section: Culture
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Life will never be like this again.
That was the thought that raced through my mind as I filled my red plastic cup with keg beer and joined the crowd to watch my two friends drunkenly box. For most of us, college is our first real world experience ? it is the first time we've lived away from home, had to pay bills, and been completely in charge of our lives. However, to say college is exactly like the real world is a little silly. There are very few places in the real world where drinking all weekend is considered cool and the excuse "Dude, I got so fucked up last night, I don't even know what happened" is still applicable.
However, as I watched the boxing match in the early hours of Sunday morning, I was flooded with memories: puking in an alley my first night of college, failing my first class, my first real love and heartbreak, a few fights (that I usually ended up losing), tailgating for football games, friends that had come and gone, and dozens of other memories. I realized I had experienced a lot in five years.
On June 14th, some 5,000 students (including myself) will receive their diplomas and enter into the "real" real world. A world where the economy is struggling, jobs are scarce, and Natural Light is not the default beer for all drinking occasions. However, for many of you, June 14th will just mark the beginning of your summer vacation and the end of another year of college. Now, I don't consider myself some type of wise old sage, nor do I consider my college experience wildly more unique than anyone else's. However, I have seen and experienced a lot at Ohio State, and I hope that the little bit of knowledge that I have gleamed during college can be helpful for those of you coming back for more.
Challenge Yourself
It's easy to half ass college. Many classes don't take attendance and there are many people in the real world that will tell you that it doesn't matter what your grades are as long as you graduate. However, college may be the only time in your life you get to study and interact with people at the very top of their professional field. I've been fortunate to study under one of the world's most renowned climatologists, a Broadway actress, and one of the world's most famous James Joyce scholars. Once college is over, no matter what profession you enter, you are unlikely to be exposed to so many top professionals in such varied fields.
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