Freshmen might be bombarded with claims from upperclassmen that they have to do certain things before they graduate. I think that’s a little naive for upperclassmen to say that to us. It’s important for MSU newcomers to listen to the people who have come through before, but college isn’t the same experience for every person.

So far I’ve found that it’s really the people you meet that make the college experience memorable. What you’re doing is less important, so long as you’re having fun and enjoying the company of those you’re with. People with similar interests can congregate in many informal settings, and that keeps things interesting.

There are more than 650 student groups at MSU encompassing a plethora of interests and beliefs. There are so many activities for students to get involved in that I doubt a graduating senior could name them all. Again, the people I hang out with have majors ranging from accounting and engineering to journalism and international relations. It’s unfair to tell people who have such a wide variety of interests and passions that this should be a one-size-fits-all campus.

“To each his own” seems to be a fundamentally good principle to apply to college life. If you’re caught up with this image of a drunken party as the right way for someone to enjoy college, understand that for some that is true. Others might feel comfortable with the opposite extreme of endlessly doing homework. But for those who have no interest in either of those lifestyles, a movie night with friends or a good book could be just as entertaining.

Cameron Macko is an intern at The State News. Reach him at cmacko@statenews.com