Spontaneity not just for college students

As college students, we’re fresh-faced, bright-eyed and probably a little naïve; we’re preparing for a headfirst dive into the rest of our lives. It follows that people generally enjoy giving us advice.

Julia Vann | Daily Trojan

Some of this advice is amazing. Some of it is questionable. Sadly, few things circulate faster than bad advice.

With this in mind, I created a survey asking students to list the bad advice they’ve been given most frequently. I won’t lie and say the survey was a hit — about 40 people responded, which is a little more than .2 percent of the undergraduate population. But let’s just disregard the fundamentals of statistics and continue as though this was a good sample. I’m sure you’ve done it in your classes.

Interestingly enough, I found a clear theme in the responses — we’re constantly told to seize the day. Follow your heart. Skip class and start a water fight. Have another drink — you only have four years of college. Living in the moment is healthy, but college sometimes feels like a contest of who’s more whimsical. I get the sense that many of us have this massive, irrational fear of missing out on recklessness.

Maybe I’m a traitor to my age group, but I refuse to believe that we only have four years to act on our impulses.

I can understand the idea behind it: It’s hard to think of another time in life where ample possibilities intersect with few responsibilities. Still, live fast and die young? Tacky.

I firmly believe that the neurotic need to live in the moment comes from the assumption that life ends at 30. That, it appears, is about the age at which my peers believe one abandons all improbable dreams and becomes a so-called functioning member of society. So what? Social norms are the only things stopping you from being impulsive for the rest of your life. It requires some balancing, but there’s a helpful trick: a simple framework of responsibility.

What exactly is a framework of responsibility? Honestly, I just made the term up. I realize the name is ridiculous — as though I’ve read one too many academic journals — but bear with me. Having a framework of responsibility means resisting the urge to cram all spontaneous action into four short years.

The first component of this framework involves goals. Although choosing a dream job is hard, it helps to commit to something, even if you have a sneaking suspicion that it’s not a perfect fit. Life becomes more orderly when you’re striving toward a specific goal. If you arrive at it and decide it’s not for you, you can always start over — and you’ll do it with credentials you wouldn’t have gotten if you had spent your time sitting around wondering what to do with yourself.

The second component involves a minimum level of success. With your dream job in mind, what’s the least you need to do to be a viable candidate? A potential physicist would need to maintain a high GPA and get involved in research. A future filmmaker would need to devote time and resources to a quality portfolio. Every job requires different things, but it’s important to first find out what the bare essentials are and to strive for them.

The clearer the framework of responsibility, the more room there will be for rash decisions along the road of life. Think of it this way: If you party hard without working hard for four years straight, you eventually limit your options. You might have to spend the next 10 years scrambling up the corporate ladder — a task that leaves little room for impulsive decisions. But if you balance your partying with good grades, leadership positions and a few key internships, you’ll end up at a higher starting point after graduation. Most likely, your corporate ladder scramble will be a bit more like a stroll. There’s time to be impulsive when you’re strolling.

According to Psychology Today, studies have shown that occasional misbehavior leads to a happier, more productive life. And sometimes, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities spring up near important tests. That’s completely understandable. Still, the habit of avoiding responsibility is only fun in the short term. Goal-setting can buy valuable breathing room in the future. It can also buy a trip to Ibiza. The Row versus Ibiza — think about it.

My biggest nightmare is turning 30 and realizing that my best years were in college. Yes, this time can and should be amazing, but we all have decades ahead of us. Don’t just seize the day, and don’t just seize your college years. Carpe vitam. Seize your life.

Maya Itah is a junior majoring in communication and international relations. Her column, “Wait, Think Again,” runs every other Friday.