Maud: I am Jack's Greediness

It is entirely possible I've been a little too optimistic lately. The last few weeks of our semesters are always packed with debates, presentations, essays and – of course – exams. From now on, it'll be one long, exhausting sprint to that May 20 finish line.

This isn't news to me. Still, for a while I managed to ignore this knowledge in favor of more instant gratifications. Being late for class because you were having lunch at Crostini, settling down on SeventySeven's terrace after that one class that runs 'till six o'clock, a Barrel night with a four-hour aftermath in a Roggeveen common room… all nice things, sure, but not necessarily beneficial to one's GPA.

One of my neighbors once asked me (rhetorically, in a voice that betrayed a sense of disbelief and mild exasperation) that surely I wasn't planning on maintaining my first year's GPA throughout my entire RA career. But to be honest, I am.

I never used to be very ambitious; as soon as I realized I'd get through Dutch high school without too much effort, I settled for grades around the 70% and 80% mark. Here at RA, that lazy attitude has vanished. Aside of the obvious positive effect of being able to choose subjects I'm interested in, it's immensely motivating to have professors that are actually interested in what I have to say. They want my input in class and in my essays they want me to argue something I believe in. Right now, for example, I'm analyzing one of my favorite novels – Fight Club – for my Stylistics class. I think that's pretty damn great. And because RA's environment is so motivating, I want to get high grades. I want to live up to it. I'm not going to settle for a B anymore. These three years, I'm collecting A's, as many as possible.

The downfall here, of course, is that I want too much. I'm greedy. I want A's. I want to write great papers. But I also want to enjoy the sun and to have friends visit and to relax and to sit in my flower-patterned arm chair with a good book or an episode of one of my favorite TV shows. I want it all. Oh, and I also want to sleep for at least eight hours a night. Pretty please. With a cherry on top.

My point is, it doesn't really work that way. If I get distracted while writing my essay and end up watching the movie adaptation of Fight Club instead, I'm not going to get that A I want so badly. If I stay out 'till half past six I'm not going to get my eight hours of sleep. It's all about instant and long-term gratifications. Chocolate might make you feel good for about five seconds, but on the long term, carrots are just so much more nutritious and generally healthier and better for you.

…in that same vein, I'll stop working on this blog now and continue working on my essay.

My name is Maud and I am a second-year student of Linguistics & Literary Studies. These are a few of my favorite things: books, sneakers, loud music, and coffee.