The same first week with a new twist

By: Marshall Hampson

I’m going to be honest. This week was a complete blur. It got to the point where I couldn’t seem to recall what happened on what day. Sounds like a college student who just woke up from a massive hangover, right?

My first week of school actually started three weeks ago as the State Hornet editors held budget and training meetings to get set for the first issue. “Production night” is a phrase that could have been the death of me. 

As the sports editor, music was keeping me sane as I was completing the layout of the sports section for 14 hours during production night - overlapping into Tuesday morning.

At least my first day of school was exciting.

With going to bed at 5 a.m., 7:30 a.m. came at me like a freight train. All I could think about when I woke up was: “Well, today can’t be much worse.”

And by the strength of God and Starbucks, Tuesday was a “normal” first day of school. Seeing my journalism friends in my classes helped me get past the fact that I was running on two and a half hours of sleep. I felt like I was at my home away from home. We all get along as if we’ve all known each other since childhood.

But my job still remained my focus point throughout the week. I have a paper to produce and writers to help. Being somewhat a perfectionist, the first sports section of the State Hornet had to pass the expectations of myself.

It did. On Wednesday morning before my music theory class, I grabbed the paper and read it in the hallway outside of my class. I felt I had accomplished something more than anything I did last semester when I opened the paper up to page B4. 

Gazing at a beautifully put-together section and a headline reading, “Hornets swarm Hornet Stadium”, made me happier than winning the Best Sports Writer award last semester.

Despite being so wrapped up in my job, I wanted to not lose grip on my personal life. I still have a band to manage and want spend time with my friends and family. My band, Grenade Jumper, decided to take all of the songs we’ve been recording recently and release our second EP within the next few months. This is a huge step considering we’re all off to college and keeping the band together.

I also learned a very important lesson on Wednesday. Don’t be afraid to tell people how you really feel. This lesson came up twice that day. Why should you have a fear of being rejected? Why are people afraid to ask for help when they know they need it? 

“Go big or go home” is my band’s motto and will always influence me. If you actually take a risk, you’ll realize that the end result is not as bad as seems. The result might not be the one you wanted, but you can at least look back at the situation and say you had enough confidence to take the risk.

Thursday soon rolled along and everything seemed calm. Yes, I had to edit my writers’ articles and go to all of my classes in the midst of my hectic schedule. But maybe since I’ve already been through enough my first week than any person should have to go through in a month, that I dealt with the pressure and stress easier.

This is what college life is about: dealing and adapting to new situations. I can make a huge deal about everything that comes my way or I can just roll with the punches.

Here’s to a semester of making the most of out of situations.