BY AYESHA BİLAL (PSYC/III)
ayesha@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
At the beginning of this semester, I made a small yet profound request of my readers: that we not let the years we spend getting our education go to waste. That was certainly not to say we are wasting our time getting enlightened here, but as those who heeded my words may have realized, there is a lot more to this time in our lives than tests and exams and projects and, at the end, being handed a roll of paper to signify its completion. Many of us may chronically go through an emotional and cognitive process where we question where our life is headed, and why we must try our best and attain the highest grades we can in order to secure ourselves a place in the near to distant future. Well, as I said at the beginning of the academic year, it doesn’t have to be this way. You can do a lot to alleviate that feeling of blandness and monotony, while all the while remaining serious about your future. I hope many of you who read my words have at least attempted to make an exciting change in your lives so that, as the year ends, you will not be feeling like your existence is a series of déjà vu episodes, where you go through semester after semester of education with a subconscious fear that the best years of your life are flying past you.
Those are heavy words, I admit; I don’t intend to be unnerving, but at the same time I feel like, as young adults, the only time something reaches us is if it scares us. We’re a stubborn generation, so we need hard-hitting motivation, I believe. And if my words did reach anyone at all this semester, or do so in the future, I’m sure those people won’t regret acknowledging them. Let me start with myself, my own small personal achievements and the changes that I set out in my head, many of which I accomplished and feel wonderful about. Indeed, I feel a difference in this, my fifth semester here at Bilkent. I traveled more this year, and intend on making even more trips in the near future. I also overcame some personal hurdles—those fears, ideas or notions we embed in our minds that ultimately hold us back from our true potential or from experiencing life to the fullest. I can proudly say I had a joyous semester overall, and hopefully next semester I can set myself new goals to reach.
I want to talk a bit more about traveling, because this is an option available to most people, and a sure-fire way of alleviating the stresses and repetitiveness of university life. We’re all lucky to be living in a country that’s so diverse in what it offers. You can find almost anything to your liking—if you enjoy unwinding on beautiful sandy beaches, there are plenty of those; if what thrills you is nature and mountains, or snowy slopes, there’s no shortage here in Turkey; and if history is what interests you, then you’re very much like me, and Turkey is a gold mine of historical wonders, about which I’m sure I don’t need to further elaborate. Turkey is also in proximity to so many different countries, cultures and histories. I repeat for emphasis, especially in regard to exploring the world around us, that there is no time better than now to do so. And for those of you who don’t feel a need to open up to different people and cultures and lifestyles, why not give it a shot anyway? Our lives are finite, and although the education we gain during this time is vital in ensuring that we have a happy life ahead of us, years from now we won’t remember what we learned from our course notes, but rather what we gained from our experiences—and even in cases where they had nothing to give, just the experiences themselves.
In a couple of weeks, as we are all well aware, we start our winter break. During the semester, I’m sure we all made many plans that we couldn’t carry out in the midst of our studies, so hopefully we’ll be able to allot to these the ample free time we’ll have during vacation. Let’s try not to completely ignore that loose commitment to an exciting winter, and alongside some much-needed relaxation, try to make use of the time and achieve something to be personally proud of. Learn a language or a sport, begin working on a project that interests you, or (because this last one is my favorite, I’ll repeat it once more) try to explore the city, the country and finally the world we reside in. It is undoubtedly full of marvels and wonders, and there is no scarcity of places to begin with. I urge that you not let this time of personal freedom go to waste. I hope everyone gathers the motivation and courage to bring color into their lives next semester, and for those who can’t during the academic year, may you find some excitement next month. I wish everyone good luck on their finals, and send good vibes for your winter break.