College has a big convenience problem. Where we live, who we’re friends with, what we eat, and who we date are only some of the decisions we make when captivated by the lure of convenience. I certainly do not live in the Tower because I like thin walls or enjoy when people pee/puke in the elevators every weekend, but I am willing to tolerate these annoyances for the price of central location on campus and proximity to Thorne. I like being less than ten minutes away from all of my classes and most places I want to go. I chose to live in the tower because it’s convenient.
Luckily for me, I was able to recruit some like-minded friends to join me in the tower and I can happily say that I like the people I live with. Some people are not so fortunate. First Years, for example, cannot choose their roommates and, although Res. Life does their best to accommodate, some housing situations are less than ideal. Still, roommates become ‘friends’ because “there’s never anyone else to go to dinner with,” “he/she’s always there,” “I borrow her clothes a lot,” etc. This problem extends beyond the realm of roommates. Girls and boys hang out with each other because they’re on the same team or go to all of the same parties. At the end of your four years of college, though, are those reasons going to be good enough?
The same question applies, of course, to the dating game. Dating someone because it’s convenient is generally a bad idea. You may go to the same parties, borrow his sweatshirt a lot, and have a reliable date to dinner, but, if you despise some of his more significant traits or behavioral patterns (i.e. he treats you badly, he has awful manners, he drinks too much, he cheats on you), you probably shouldn’t be with him. It may seem like the best option because it’s convenient, but being boyfriendless is better than being bound to a bad boyfriend.
Next time you’re sitting with your boyfriend or about to eat Fritos for breakfast (again) ask yourself why you do it/him…because it’s convenient? Convenience can force us to do some pretty silly things. Picking friends, finding a job, choosing where to live, and deciding who to date are big decisions that should not be made purely on the basis of convenience. Ask yourself if you’re truly happy. It may be scary to make an inconvenient change now, but it will be much scarier and more inconvenient ten years from now. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen…don’t just buy a fan.