I’m not going to college parties, but I’m still here for a good time. 

The saying “I’m here for a good time not a long time” is said with presuming ‘good’ means fun and exciting while ‘long’ means boring and daunting. 

It is calling out whether you are living your life correctly. 

Growing into myself I always had the mindset of earning good grades while maintaining friendships, work hours, a traveling lifestyle and a committed relationship; the ultimate balancing act that fails and succeeds in waves. 

I have been attending Fresno City College for three years now and I am closing in on getting my transfer degree. Yes, the plan was supposed to be two years and transfer but with a difficult work schedule and (you guessed it) a social life, it did not work out that way.

In my 21 years of living one of the biggest concerns is whether I am gaining the most out of my life as a college student. I want to have a fun and memorable college experience, but I also want to maintain my GPA. 

It is a balancing act that high school did not prepare you for that is maintaining a job, good grades, and the ultimate task: a social life. 

Holding a part-time job while being a full-time student leaves few hours left on the clock to socialize. The hunt for good grades can be overwhelming at times with quizzes, tests and homework. 

To top all of this off, there is still the want for a social life which appears at times to be the most daunting. 

You must have to hold one to a higher priority than the other, right?

Well not exactly.

“You can still go to college and have a fun time, you just have to know how to be responsible about it. Put your priorities first,” as a Fresno City College math major states.

So no, I’m not getting drunk on weekends during my college years as a personal preference, but I still adore a good social life. As a way to still enjoy my social life I find that something as simple as hanging out with friends or catching a dinner date with my boyfriend is a valid solution.

This is me making time for things I care for, and spending time on the degree I’m working towards.

I have to understand that a day spent studying is a day that I could have spent with friends. As an example of maintaining grades and my social life, I can have a study session with my friends.

Education is something that I am excited about. I recognize that school holds its own life lessons as well.

You can get memorable experiences out of school just as you might from going out. “Even if you’re here for a good time… you might miss out on some of the stuff that you can also experience that might make your experience more enjoyable,” said business agriculture major Peter Boriboun. 

Just as school has life lessons cut out for you, a social life has its benefits too.

When asked about being here for a good time, an FCC child development major said “you are there to enjoy life … the experiences that you go through, both good and bad… build you into the person you are today.”

I hold the belief that I can have the best of both. 

That is why I am here for a good time and a long time.