When one thinks of college, many words may come to mind. College is new, exciting, memorable, fun, stressful, transforming, and liberating. I mean after all, it can change your life forever? (Isn’t that a funny/frightening thought!)
Yikes! Anyway… something that most people would not equate their college experience to is a fun, turbulent, and all around great game of inner tube waterpolo. Now before your brain explodes out of utter confusion, let me explain my reasoning.
Despite the fact that inner tube waterpolo is a quintessential college intramural sport, one played by your very own (wink wink nudge nudge), the 45 minute game time provides very applicable metaphors for college students like ourselves.
Being a part of a Scripps team with about 5 players in the face of intimidating teams of over 15 players can be sorta daunting. Especially when that team has megaphones chanting their residence hall’s theme song (you know who are, Mudd). Much like the stress related to all our school work and its constant piling up, the end goal or even an afternoon nap can seem out of reach. The constant marathon of papers, quizzes, tests, meetings, study sessions seem endless with your time and energy equally dwindling as the week continues on. However much like this beautiful game, the only way through this avalanche of responsibilities is through it. We must keep paddling past the circular multi-colored inner tubes of life and score our best shot no matter the odds (10/10 cheesy metaphors are my favorite).
It’s even more fun than it actually looks. Photo via Edson & Area Events!
Often times in college we are presented with new challenges and tasks we have never experienced before (like that first Core 1 Paper, anyone with me?!) It is difficult to succeed in an academic or professional environment, where the caliber for performance may be different from what you were previously used to. The same can be said in all instances in life. Sometimes we just fail and most of the time it really hurts. Expectations and their reality are hard to grapple with, especially when they are two different things. However what is important is that our trials should not deter us from getting back into our inner tubes and shooting another goal in last quarter. You got to keep going, learn from your mistakes of constantly throwing the ball 10 feet above the net, improve, and do your best. Because after all one should “not pray for an easy life” as Bruce Lee says but instead “pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Feeling disheartened should not be synonymous with failure, because a lot of the time the journey of improvement is what matters the most and helps us gain insights that were previously unforeseen.
So what, the Scripps team never officially won a game? This past season was a blast in the process and we learned a thing or two about strategic water treading skills and teamwork. Don’t give up folks, the journey is the fun part, unless that journey involves ice cold pool water (that’s just rough).
Commonly – perhaps too commonly – my team mates and I don’t reach the ball quick enough, capsize and fall out of our tubes, throw the ball to the wrong player by accident and don’t flail our arms fast enough to block the shot (just kidding y’all are perfect), but so what?!? It is perfectly acceptable to make little mistakes in life, especially when you are new to school, an internship, or even a job interview. So next time you’re getting ready to tackle some life issues or just your looming math homework, imagine yourself in an inner tube, floating along, bouncing around, and laughing because, life is just too short not to!
Happy Midterms, folks!
Isabella
(P.S. Want to join the team for next semester, let me know in the comments below! We’d love to have you!)