"You can do it, put your back into it"

We've gotten very, very lazy.

I'm not quite sure that has happened to students in regards to education, and I'm not quite sure how prevalent this issue is amongst different universities across America.

What I am sure of is that there are a lot of students nowadays that putting a lot less effort into their studies and a lot more into their social lives.

It seems like more and more often we're putting down the books and picking up those ubiquitous red cups.

It has become a common occurrence that every time I board a bus or walk through the Student Union, more and more comments and blurbs are reaching my ears about how students are spending their free time - and it doesn't seem to be benefiting them or their GPA.

"I'm doing so bad in that class, that's why I don't even bother to show up."

Understandable, some classes are going to bog you down more so than others. But perhaps instead of sleeping through your 8 a.m. lecture then not even bothering to study for that midterm until the night before it, why not put a little more effort in?

I fully understand the right and also the need to get out of the library and have some fun. It's necessary for your sanity. But when the amount of fun gets to a level that starts affecting your grades and future, you need to take a step back.

What happened to students valuing their education? To really getting down and doing hard work?

Nothing is ever going to be handed to you when it comes to your education - it's up to you to go to your lectures, take notes in class, and crack open your textbook to read the chapters you've been assigned.

You've been given a gift that is more often than not taken for granted, the opportunity to receive a college education. And further down the road, vastly increased chances of finding a solid job after graduating.

A few years from now it won't matter how many times you beat some guy from three rooms down in a hotly contested beer pong tournament, how many times you couldn't recall how you ended up with half your body jammed into the laundry room dryer when you woke up in the morning, or how many strikes you could bowl on Wii Sports.

What's really going to matter is how many times you took advantage of office hours with your professor that finally got you to understand that math concept, and how many times you were able to ace a test because you actually put more than 15 minutes into studying for it.

Value your education and time here at UB. You don't need to hole yourself up in your room 24-7 when you aren't in class, feverishly creating flash cards and memorizing every important date regarding the Merovingian dynasty. But maybe instead of going out next weekend before your final, maybe take the time to study a little harder.

After all, there's always next weekend.