Change

By Victor Hernandez

As the great Bob Dylan once said, “The times they are a-changin.” This becomes more evident when you’re an adult returning to school. At 28 years old, after dropping out 10 years ago, I made the decision to pick up where I left off and continue my academic journey.

And while I’m not necessarily ready for the retirement home, it feels that way when I’m the only student in class that was born before the launch of YouTube. So, just like the grumpy old man that I feel like, I’m going to yap about five things that have changed since I first tried college and what I’ve learned as a returning adult.

Change #1: Mornings
When I first attended college in 2014, I was bright eyed, full of energy, and ready to take on the day. Now? I get to school at 9:00 a.m.  and immediately head to the quietest area on campus for an hour to fully wake up, (this is a little more difficult when you don’t drink coffee). Fortunately, I have enough time to kill until my first class to walk around and get the blood flowing.

Change #2: Slang

Every so often a new phrase or word catches on and it becomes part of everyday language. Back in my day it was easy to keep up with the current slang because I was part of that current generation using it. However, I had now reached the stage where there are a good amount of phrases I was not too familiar with. Here are a few examples of phrases I’ve learned:

• “Lock in”
• “Crash out”
• “Type shit”
• “Rizz”
• “Ate” (sometimes followed by “left no crumbs”)

While these are phrases I more than likely will never use, at least I’m no longer the only person besides the professor who looks confused when these words are mentioned.

Change #3: Time Management
The people around me and the world we live in are not the only things that have undergone change in the past 10 years-I have too. One thing that’s changed (for the better) is how I use my time. As a youngster, I would either cram an entire project in one day or procrastinate and pull an all nighter to finish an assignment. I’ve learned that these methods are not sufficient if I want an A. (I’m also no longer built for all nighters. I’m usually in bed by 9:00 p.m..)

Change #4: Focus

I was never the most attentive student in class. I would usually get to know a few people and depend on them to help me get through the week. That’s no longer the case. I’m consistently taking notes, paying attention to the professor when they’re speaking, and asking questions when necessary. I know that in order to get the results I want, I need to fully understand the subject. (As the kids say, I need to “lock in.”)

Change #5: Priorities

At 18 years old, I viewed college as a safety net. I could fail and it wouldn’t be a big deal because I could just get a job, work, and come back later. School will always be there. But when I made the decision to go back, I viewed this as my last shot. I knew that if I stopped, I wouldn’t want to go back for another few years, if at all. I’m not going to have this type of motivation again, so I have to do this now.

Conclusion:

The world keeps spinning and change remains inevitable. But the good thing about change is that it lets you mature and become a better human being. The past 10 years allowed me to work a variety of jobs and experience things that helped mold me into the man I am today. A man that’s hell-bent on finishing what I started 10 years ago.