Dream ONondaga: Preparing for Senior Year

By: Andrew Bank  (Syracuse University)

In one week, I’ll be returning to the Inception-like dream world that is college. Although I’m eager to be back at my second home, thinking about the upcoming year has put my mind in a Leo DiCaprio-like limbo.

While I’m stoked for what’s coming, it’s hard to remain in the moment. There’s no escaping the reality that this is my Syracuse University Farewell Tour, and no science fiction subplot can hide the fact that my future has never been closer to the now.

College is essentially one enormous “pre-game” that helps make your cultural, intellectual, and social integration into the real world less awkward. I still feel like an incoming freshman at heart, but no college kegger can compare to the wild party I’m about to join – a true “rager” called life.

Nevertheless, with only two semesters until graduation, I’ll strive to work and play harder than ever. Balancing academic responsibilities with the freedom from other demands is the best way to make these last months as exciting and memorable as my first days (back when I was a naive, orange lanyard-wearing neophyte in Brewster Hall).

College is also a place for students to pursue their life’s dreams in a dream-like atmosphere. The idea that “anything is possible” applies more here than anywhere else (except for maybe inside Christopher Nolan’s head). While there are differences between dreaming while awake and asleep, our conscious goals and subconscious fantasies have much in common. We all want to visualize our happy dreams coming to fruition without interruption or nightmare. We also want to make discoveries along the way.

With this in mind, I’m excited to embrace new challenges, relationships, and ideas before my Syracuse dream comes to an end. I plan on “Carpe Diem-ing” my way through new experiences, while also making time for familiar friends and routines (as well as few Keystone Lights).

Although I’m starting the year with a positive outlook, I’m concerned that I won’t be able to accomplish everything I’ve set out to do in (and after) college. Dreaming big could ultimately set you up for big disappointments. I also realize that my determination alone may not be enough. While hard work can get you an A (at least in “Living Writers” class), it cannot guarantee success and fulfillment down the road. Still, there is no better time to explore the depths of our own curiosities and desires.

While my childhood dreams were shaped in Long Island’s Nassau County, my hopes for adulthood have been molded here in Onondaga. Syracuse University has provided me with liberation from adolescence, as well as a bridge to my life’s true journey. While a Magellan GPS can’t help anyone arrive at a rewarding personal destination, maybe dreams can.

Inception, Hollywood’s biggest summer hit, teaches us the importance of adapting to life’s changes. With big changes on my horizon, I was moved by the idea that we are better served confronting our realities than looking for more convenient (or in the movie’s case, imaginative) escapes. Still, it’s beneficial to note how the blockbuster film also shows us that dreaming is often breathtaking, confusing, emotionally charged, and unpredictable. Sounds a lot like real life to me.

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