College students just don’t have time. On top of studying, writing papers, and balancing their spiritual and social lives, college students are expected to know what is going on in the world around them.
However, when we’re stressing out about a big paper that was due two nights ago the last thing on our mind is what the President is going to do about Syria. Am I right?
We pick up bits and pieces thanks to our Professors who drop world news into casual conversations that we pretend to understand. If you’re anything like me, when someone approaches you with wide eyes asking if you heard about what happened in the news last night, you just match their eye-size and nod hoping to pass as a knowledgeable world citizen.
With all the technology available at our fingertips you would think we would be more educated about worldly happenings. However when most students are asked why they don’t know what’s going on it’s a simple response: I have too much homework; I have a big group project to work on; I have to work. They just don’t have the time.
However, every school has its over-achievers. Some keep up-to-date via their twitter feed, and it’s even rumored that one savvy senior even had a New York Times subscription for a while in their freshman year. But even that doesn’t always last long.
It’s hard to stay up-to-date on the world. What about Syria? Congress did what? As young adults we’re often bullied into thinking we have to be more than what we are. But the truth is, we can’t be everything- the all-star athlete, the stellar student, the sound theologian, and the culturally literate adult. It’s so much pressure. On the scale of importance, world news tends to sink down to the lower level of our priorities. We’ve got essay’s to write, books to read, and jobs to work, not to mention the plethora of extra responsibilities many students take on. And when we do have the chance to relax, I think it’s safe to say we’ll do it at the Beach Party or chilling with our ice cream on Sundae-Sunday rather than sitting in front of the local news.