As I have spoken to people about graduation, most seem thoroughly surprised that I am not ready to get out of here. In fact, I feel quite the opposite. I would stay in college for the rest of my life if given the opportunity. For all its screw-ups, its embarrassments, and its incompetent moments, the University of Tennessee has treated me pretty well.
In today’s day and age, college is meant to be a place where students can learn the responsibilities of being an adult with very few of the consequences. It is an experience that I will most likely never get back. I’ve learned to better keep up with my schedule, manage my money, cook, clean, and function like an adult. However, I never felt as if my life were going to spiral out of control if one of these responsibilities got out of hand. Sure, there might be consequences, but none as serious as having my house foreclosed on or losing my only means of income. I mean, really, how many institutions in the real world would catch a person butt-chugging on the premises and not immediately terminate their association with said individual? Not many. Yet somehow this is our experience at UT.
Well … not everyone’s experience. But you get the point.
College also serves as the last frontier of our childhood. Many adults, justifiably, may see this as a negative, but I am just going to take college as it is. I have been given four years to have a little bit more fun before going on to the real world. My next stop will be medical school, and I am fairly certain that there will be fewer 1 a.m. trips to Cook Out. You can pretty much toss out the possibility of sleeping til 11 a.m. or later (yes, I was spoiled my last semester.) I’m also guessing that my ability to view UT basketball games will be far more limited, and when I can make it to Knoxville, admission will not be free. All in all, life is just easy. There’s no better way to put it.
While I never had to work during the semester for the sole purpose of paying for my education, I can sympathize with those who did. However, even under these circumstances, I think we can agree that college is a unique experience where you can always find the extra change for dollar beers at Copper Cellar.
However, I think more than anything, college is a place where we gain the unique perspective of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going to go. There is a definite path behind us that made us who we are today. Like it or hate it, we have it to thank for why we are the way we are. In college, we have the opportunity to mold and refine that being into whatever we want it to be. When we leave, we have to take what we’ve created and set it forth into the real world to earn our successes, make our own mistakes, and continue to grow from the experiences.
But one thing is always certain: All of life lies in front of us, but if things get rough out there, all roads lead back to the comfort of home. Home is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Home is where the hills in the fall are covered in God’s color, and where Rocky Top echoes throughout the Tennessee Valley. Home is where the people are nicer, the girls are prettier, and the tea, like life itself, is just a little bit sweeter. As the song says, Rocky Top is home sweet home to me. And you, Rocky Top, will be dearly missed.
A special thanks goes out to my family and friends for being with me through both the fun and tough times. Thanks to Mom and Dad for being good, loving parents, and pushing me to get the most out of life. And last but not least, thanks to my loyal readers who make this possible! Go Vols!
— Hunter Tipton is a senior in microbiology. He can be reached at [email protected].
