By Jochem Gerritsen
UCR Alumnus, Class of 2013
I am sitting in my Comparative and Transnational Public Policy class in Paris. It’s 16.00 and in 45 minutes this class will finally be over. The course is part of my Masters; a lot has changed since last year. One thing that did not change at all is my obsession with time.
The strong habit I have of counting down time pervades my life completely. In classes such as the one I am currently attending, I check the clock or my mobile phone regularly…55 minutes left…49 minutes…34…31…etc. The reasons for this habit differ widely, but can be summarized as either the class does not appeal to me, or I have something else to do after class which I look forward to: eating a sandwich, preparing for an exam, meeting with friends, not-having-class, etc. But also in non-clock-based ways, our obsession with time is apparent.
A single week after a semester has started (whether that is at UCR or at my current university), I already think, “Wow, I’ve finished 1/15th part of the semester, only 14 weeks to go!” Or when there’s a particular event you look forward to -seeing your girl- or boyfriend again, or that one weekend in which your friends come over to party – similar thoughts are sparked. Our society is time-based, which is inevitable. Nonetheless, I argue for personal change in how we see time, and especially how we should try to disregard it more often.
We should be more like Buddhist monks. I am not an expert in Buddhism, but what I was told in a meditation class once is quite applicable: while meditating, let everything go. Do not think about what you will do after that what you are doing now. Do not think about what you have done before that what you are doing now. The past is gone and the future will be, later. They are not now.
In short, we should all live in the present more often. Be excited about your life in Middelburg, Paris or elsewhere. Though I am aware of the hypocrisy, be aware of the class you are in. Listen to the lecturer and your fellow students, pay attention. Or if that is really not an option, keep yourself occupied with something interesting; write an article for the Tabula Rasa! At the least, do not just wait. And whatever you do, do not look at the time! Teachers, hide the clocks. Students, ensure the clock is facing your back so you cannot look at it. Even if you do not see the use of this exercise, time will go a lot faster (and your class will go much quicker) if you do not lay your eyes on your watch every 3 minutes.
Related to my other example, counting down the weeks until the end of the semester is understandable. Everyone does it, especially with such busy weeks as at UCR. Still, try not to overdo it. Do not count the days left until your break; counting weeks will do just fine. Don’t set alarms, or make countdown-calendars. Life is flying by; three years in the Burg will be over before you know it. And do stuff! Don’t just “wait”, but join organizations, societies. By being more active in the things that you like, you will have less time to worry about the past or future; you’ll be required to live in the present.
Sure, it’s difficult. We are so obsessed with time and counting down the time that it is hard to push ourselves not to look forward to more interesting events than the ones at hand. Nonetheless, try. Life will perhaps become more enjoyable and if not, well you can always go back to your old-time-abiding-self. I will try to do so too, though with only 5 minutes left on the clock, I cannot wait for this class to be over!
Jochem Gerritsen, alumnus, class of 2013, is currently a student in the International Public Management program at Sciences-Po, focusing on China and East Asia studies. He is from Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Maybe you should find something you enjoy enough to not stare at the clock? Because even if you cannot see it, you will be mentally counting down or just anticipating a class to end if it sucks.
This article is kind of borderline quarter-life crises, which makes me wonder why you are wasting your time doing a Masters when you would obviously rather be eating a sandwich.