In many ways, college is about becoming an adult while clinging to the vestiges of childhood. Every day, we’re forced to make trade–offs between things that a responsible grown–up would do and things that a rebellious teenager would do. Should I walk all the way to class in the rain or get stoned and watch Aladdin? Should I go to Van Pelt and study or get smashed at a BYO? Should I go to Pottruck and then Gia or eat this giant cake and then nap? Econ would call this opportunity cost, but that term’s not quite right. It’s more about making the occasional responsible decision rather than simply succumbing to consistent partying and laziness. Recently, I had to make one of these choices, one that we are all faced with at some time in our careers at Penn: to drop or not to drop? Ironically, the class about which I was making my choice was a class about choices: Judgment and Decision Psychology. It was a class I needed for my minor, fit perfectly into my schedule and was rated well on PCR. It was love at first sight. But on the first day of class, the cracks began to show. First of all, it was in DRL. I really, really hate DRL. It’s filled with math and science–y people and it’s so far from everything and there’s never enough air conditioning. I suffered through the long walk, though; it really wasn’t the end of the world. Good exercise, as my mom would say. It was only when I looked at the syllabus that the class really did break my heart. Final exam, 6–8 p.m. on my birthday. My 21st birthday. How am I supposed to defend my constitutional right to get legally shitfaced if I have an exam for most of the evening? This was a deal–breaker. I spent the getting–to–know–you first class searching Penn InTouch for a replacement and found one: Creativity. Yes, that’s a real class here. A class I knew my friends were in, and a class that was blissfully easy. It didn’t fulfill any requirements, but I could get away with having one blow–off class this semester. It was perfect in every way. But I didn’t switch. I really wanted to, but in the end, I stuck with Psych. Our beloved Social Ivy gives us lots of opportunities to make bad decisions, particularly Tuesday through Saturday nights. But as students, it’s our responsibility to make the good ones where we can, to take small steps to adulthood and become productive members of society. We came to Penn to learn and grow — and to party — but it’s important to create a balance of both if we want to be successful. I did the responsible thing; it wasn’t hard, and I’m glad I did. Plus, the final will probably make an awesome drinking game.
To Drop or Not to Drop?
