A grad's lament

When I first walked into the New West Campus while taking part-time classes three years ago, I have to admit I found the vast concrete concourse intimidating; it wasn’t as welcoming as its newer-built Coquitlam counterpart, with its couch-seating Atrium and lower ceilings. But that didn’t keep me away—I ended up becoming a full-time student at New West. With this semester’s end comes the conclusion of my Douglas College stay, and now, without the comfort of employment ready after grad, I wonder if I could have done more.
Perhaps I didn’t study enough, didn’t focus enough during class. Maybe I should have been listening harder that day I was tired during a lecture and I let my fatigue guide me to a www.perezhilton.com digression.
Supposedly these feelings are normal, and my apprehension and guilt are justified. More experienced learners try to coax the worry from me with lines like, “Everyone feels that way,” or “You’ll have a job in no time,” but I wonder why I let Facebook distract me when I was paying so much money to be taught.
I realize I am a child—and subsequent casualty—of technology: impatient with a short attention span and more receptive to watching and listening rather than studying textbooks. Perhaps teaching plans have not evolved enough to suit the ever-changing needs of students. Or maybe that’s just an excuse for my own inattentiveness. But it’s tough to sit in front of a computer and not give in to the YouTube God; worship involves taking a break from rational thought and viewing quick clips of random hilarity—it gets addictive.
Faithful followers of YouTube and its apostles, Perez and Facebook, number in the millions, and students are the main chunk of those devoted to the daily website pilgrimage. It’s nice to take a break from a busy brain but it also contributes to a growing Procrasti-Nation, a world where people are too distracted to get anything done. I’m not saying I didn’t accomplish anything while at Douglas; on the contrary, I learned a lot from instructors and fellow students, and did well in my classes. But I can’t shake the guilt eroding at my graduation pride: could I have done better if I hadn’t given in to cyber-distraction?
It took me a long time to ignore the television deity but I eventually lost my faith as I realized its sedentary and redundant worship caused me to pay penance in the form of a fatter butt. Yet even the threat of a bigger behind doesn’t calm the siren-like call of the Internet.
So now, as I receive my diploma and scout for work…
… Sorry, but the “Two-legged horse” on YouTube is so damn funny. What was I writing about?