Perhaps my biggest frustration about interacting with people is unnecessary cynicism.

Lately, it seems that a lot of my conversations with people revolve around how college is going. As a junior that went home for the summer, I had a chance to go out and reunite with some of the people I loved in high school, and so catching up with them about school is always a great ice-breaker; however, I found a select few of them had run into irritation that stemmed back to what they deemed “a bad college.”

Sorry, but that’s not how it works. 

Similar to what I told people about Stow-Munroe Falls High School, my alma mater, it doesn’t matter if you don’t like the cafeteria food or you think the carpets are gross or you think a teacher is simply piss poor — what truly matters is how you turn that around into an experience you will later look upon fondly.

Now, don’t get me wrong: Some schools just aren’t for everybody. In my limited amount of college visits, I learned some universities that touted “top-notch” journalism programs actually had a few rooms and computers and made a daily newspaper from those. I was looking for a more modern school that stressed the online component. But the reason those schools could say they had great student media productions was because the students behind them drove the content to be great, even despite old computers or small, dingy rooms.

Likewise, your college experience will be defined by what you do with it, not by what you think is wrong or right about Kent State.

Stuff goes wrong at every school at every corner of the United States. Chances are high you’re going to get flustered at some point because of an assignment’s difficulty, or because you think a professor is terrible. You’re not always going to like the meal you pick up from campus food services, although I might recommend you try a Munchie’s wrap at one point or another. Even the people you deal with here are going to make you really mad eventually, perhaps even your roommate or a new best friend.

I don’t write this to be like the inspirational speaker I’m sure you’ll hear from it your first few days of college — in fact, I’m actually writing this to urge you to shut up about how much you “hate Kent State.” Those of us who are crafting our own experiences are tired of hearing you rag on the university because you got a parking ticket or because you failed an exam.

Let me also add that I’m not telling you to take no issue with the university — a student body that interacts and collaborates to solve problems is a happy student body, and one that’s headed on the right path to understanding how the real world works.

However, spending time complaining about meaningless nothings soils your own college experience, and pretty much does you no good. Maybe spending a little bit of time reflecting on your complaints will make you realize that a lot of what you have an issue with is something within your own control.

Your years at Kent State are in your hands, so make something you’re proud of.

Contact Jimmy Miller at [email protected].