“What are we spending all this money for you to go to college for?”

Meet my dad: a scholarly man who attended school in one capacity or another from age five to 63. That’s one of his favorite questions to ask me as we close out our phone conversations, after discussing my classes and grades. He knows I’ve never been a go-getter in the classroom, and that’s always been a concern. I’ve gotten by fine, never have had a horrible grade, but he can always sense my lack of motivation as I inform him of my poor studying habits and my self-induced disease of procrastination.

But I always tell him, that’s not what college is all about. Sure, I’m ultimately here to receive my diploma, but the experiences in between — outside the classroom — make the priceless moments, give you life-lasting memories and teach you how to live life to its fullest capacity.

I arrived to Amherst in the fall of my sophomore year after transferring from the University of New Hampshire, embarking on a new path in the field of journalism. On my first day of class, Herb Scribner, the then-sports editor of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian stood up and encouraged people to come down to the Campus Center basement and get involved with the school paper, claiming it will provide us with invaluable knowledge and open up great opportunities for those seeking a career in journalism. I had never heard of the Collegian — heck, I had never even written a newspaper article before — but I thought, “What the hell, why not?”

I went down that afternoon and was greeted by a windowless, dusty office with missing ceiling tiles, a moldy refrigerator, blinding fluorescent lights and the faint odor of cat vomit. To this day, I will never forget the glee I felt as I cast my eyes on that beautiful abode.

I immediately got involved, writing and producing multimedia, and quickly found it to be a field of interest that motivated me and gave me the drive that I did not have in the classroom. I soon discovered that I was learning far more from the hands-on experiences and picking the brains of my colleagues, than I was in my classes, and that’s when I began to devote most of my free time to the Collegian.

“So I’m paying tens of thousands of dollars per year for you to work at a school newspaper?”

No dad, there’s more.

The knowledge I gained at the Collegian allowed me to follow my life dream: to be a sports journalist. My clips and dedication landed me the position of web managing editor within seven months of joining the paper, and eventually led to a full time, six-month gig at the Boston Globe, writing for the sports section.

More importantly, I learned sometimes dreams aren’t meant to be followed. My obsession with the newspaper and sports journalism took over my life and became a 24/7 type of commitment. It even had a hand in gradually destroying a multiyear relationship with a kind-hearted young lady. I eventually realized this obsession created someone who I did not want to be and I discovered a new dream: to eventually start a family, be a good husband, a good father, a good man. I felt that being a beat writer for a newspaper — an opportunity I surely could have pursued and attained — would not allow me to create proper balance between work and the happy, healthy family life that hopefully lies down the road in the distant future.

In my final semester, I’ve taken time off from the Collegian, writing not a single story, and only shooting a handful of basketball games and the NCAA Tournament. Despite taking time off from working for the paper, I rarely fail to make an appearance every night, down to my beloved second home.

Behind its dank, pinhole-laden walls and sitting on its disgustingly dusty, ill-colored chairs — seriously, slap the seat of one of those chairs and witness the dust cloud of a lifetime — I find my dearest friends. I’ve spent the last few months with them creating the best memories of my college career, as they have given me an emotional uplifting I have desperately needed for the longest time. More often than not, I fall asleep with my jaw aching, from a day full of endless smiling and laughter that derives from my experiences with you all. Those are the days that I live for.

After I leave college, I still have the desire to freelance for newspapers and eventually write fiction novels. Until then, I may be underemployed for a while, but that’s absolutely fine by me.

See, dad, I’ve gotten so much more out of college than classroom experience and a diploma. It’s the life experiences that truly make college so special.

From my time at the Collegian, I have learned so much more than any book or professor could ever teach me. I’ve learned how to take advantage of opportunities and succeed, and how to fail and be perfectly fine with it. I’ve learned how to interact with human beings, make great friends and how to handle drama and controversy.

More importantly, I’ve discovered who I am and what I want out of life. I’ve formed lifelong friendships and have formed my individuality.

That’s far more than any sum of money could ever provide.

Taylor Snow was always at the Collegian and many did not know why. Now you all know. He can be reached at [email protected].

 
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