I’ve conducted a study of about one singular Oliner, myself.
The subject in question has had the following as their top three bucket list items for 2024:
- Make a Babson friend
- Make a Wellesley friend
- Make an MIT friend
I’m no networking mastermind (cough Pauline Petersen) but I’d like to think I’m a pretty friendly person. So these shouldn’t be terribly difficult goals, right? So how is it I’m nearing the last month of the semester having accomplished none of them?
Ignoring ESA grind and the general sophomore year struggle, I attribute my failure to a chronic but curable illness I call ‘it’s-too-far-itis’. It is my profound belief that, like myself, many other Oliners suffer from this illness as well. But, honestly, can you blame me? Even if something is just a 10 minute walk away, I’m already doubling the time for the walk back and now its 20 minutes which is basically a half hour gone so really it’s just not worth my time because I still haven’t finished my ESA homework and not to mention all the late DSA and– Guess it’s pointless huh?
Obviously the better option is to sit in my bed and doom scroll YouTube shorts. Yes. Far wiser. Certainly not embarrassing whatsoever.
Thankfully a rapid and familiar knock strikes loudly on my door. Amanda Chang drags me out the door to go on a walk.
I ask “Where to?” and she shrugs.
I ask “Trim?” and she starts bolting.
So I follow suit.
As we hand our ID cards to the lady at the desk we are haggardly gasping for air. I can feel the color red expanding and retracting in my ribs.
“Holy crap I need to do more cardio!” I breathe out.
So why don’t I?
As suspected, it’s another case of It’s-too-far-itis!
So now what? We flip the script. We shake it and flail it around until we find an angle that works.
Personally, I’m very food oriented. People oriented too, but food foremost. (Original, I know). Caffe Néro is an entire 40 minutes away by foot (doubling that its 80 minutes!) but once I’m there and I have a little coffee and pastry in hand…Well maybe it’s pretty worth it. My best friend at UCLA walks 30 minutes for class every day. This isn’t so horrible. And if I’m worried I’m not being productive enough in those 80 minutes, maybe I could listen to some Indian dude on youtube explain what the master theorem derivation is. Or spice things up and call my parents. And if we’re getting really crazy, restart my streak on duolingo. There’s got to be a way to make it work.
Besides, how much longer can we justify a dining hall churro as our daily treat? If you plan to indulge yourself at least have the due diligence to get what you want. Let me be the first to enable you and all the little indulgences you can’t justify on your own. Go get that donut from Babson’s Dunkins! Go get that plate of pastries from Lulu! Go take your hot girl walk!
