Last week Professor Schwarz came to the Rose Scholars Cafe to talk about his novel and go through the topics that he mentions throughout it. I recall last semester when he came to speak to us about how to survive college in general, so this time it was interesting to hear about the components of his novel and how we can apply it to where we are currently in our college experience. I really appreciated how he took the time to address how each circumstance that he mentions would affect every student differently depending at what level they are in their career.

For instance, during freshmen year, it is easy to immerse oneself into what they think college is supposed to be like and get lost along the way. Over-working and over-stressing comes easily because so many factors have changed; responsibility, work ethic, and relationships to mention a few. Sophomore year feels more comfortable, and students enter it with a steadier foot, looking forward to joining their friends and starting the semester with less nerves then before. Junior year comes with its own pressures, because the reality of needing to find a good internship that could potentially lead to one’s future career is at hand. However the classes one enrolls in are a lot more interesting and provide a better idea of what their career path may consist of. Some believe education ends with one’s senior year in college, but from there begins a whole new chapter in every students life. New jobs, new places, more opportunities, the ability to apply one’s skills to make a difference however small.

That is the part that stuck with me the most, knowing that at some point in everyone’s life, they will have the chance to make a difference in other peoples’ lives, in their families lives, and ultimately in their own. One never stops learning, but the knowledge that they have attained thus far can be used to help others and begin to pass down what they know to future generations. More obstacles appear as well, but the sense of achievement and progress gets stronger with each coming year. It was great to hear about Schwarz’s outlook on various situations, especially understanding how it changes with students from different cultural and economic backgrounds. At the end of the day, what matters is not necessarily the grade one gets but the experiences gained along the way and proving to oneself that they are capable of much more then they realize.