Hotelie-On-the-Go

Well, here it is:  Hauled up in Olin Library since 7:30pm tonight — and goin’ to be ’til they kick me out at 2am — studying for the last final exam of my Cornell undergrad career (tomorrow).  I’ve had a hellish finals schedule (4 finals and 3 papers), so having the end in sight is still bittersweet, but maybe a little more on the sweet side.

Between Slope Day, my last Llenroc formal, Hotelie Prom, etc., I’ve been reminded over and over again about why I love this place — and how it’s going to be so bizarre when I don’t have to return in the fall and head off to UC San Diego instead.  I started out on the hill like so many other Cornell freshmen — bright-eyed, jittery, dorky to the nth degree, while treating the difference between an “A-” and an “A” as if it was going to determine every other subsequent success or failure in my life.  With all of my senior reflections, it’s difficult to say that my grades mattered that much; aside from getting me into a PhD program (which I’m no doubt extremely thankful for, of course), I’m not going to remember the Cornell academics.  Not going to remember my psychopathology prelim, my GPA from spring of sophomore year, my stress over all of my TA’ing, or my group paper for marketing that wasn’t quite as good as it could’ve been.  No, I’ll remember my senior speech on the stairs of Llenroc — saying my parting words to the best friends I’ve made here.  I’ll remember spring of my sophomore year for pledging and all of the inherently crazy stories that go along with it.  I’ll remember the open parties, the concerts in Barton, the conversations with Hotelies at Mac’s, the drunken stumbles to Ruloff’s on the weekend, my 4 Slope Days (that which I can piece together, I mean), late night trips to Nasties, and sitting on the roof of Llenroc with a beer.  I’ll remember the laughs and the cries — many of which have been this past semester.

Cornell has a wealth of opportunity that is unparalleled — both intellectually and interpersonally.  And I will debate anyone that those that don’t take advantage of the latter are missing out on way more than those that skip over the former.

I will, most certainly, have one more post — post-graduation and Senior Week — but as a seed of advice before I give my parting words, underclassmen should take these words and hang onto them:  The memories you have will not be for academics when you leave here — they will be for the friends and the good times you had.  So have as many as possible.  You will more than a few chances.

One more update to come.  Stay tuned, people.

-Ec

Good Riddance (Time of My Life) by Green Day …

Another turning point;
a fork stuck in the road.

Time grabs you by the wrist;
directs you where to go.

So make the best of this test
and don’t ask why.

It’s not a question
but a lesson learned in time.

It’s something unpredictable
but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind.

Hang it on a shelf
In good health and good time.

Tattoos of memories
and dead skin on trial.

For what it’s worth,
it was worth all the while.

It’s something unpredictable
but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

(music break)

It’s something unpredictable
but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It’s something unpredictable
but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.