Jimmy's Graduation

Last Thursday my brother Jimmy graduated from high school. It was interesting to see since this was my first graduation as a college graduate. I was watching my brother and his peers receive their diplomas and I had a thought. The decision to go to college must be completely different than it was six years ago when I graduated from high school. The media in general must scare these students. Is it true that a college degree is worthless in this economy? Will I be able to get a job right out of college? Will I have huge student loans and no income? Sadly, graduates are turning away from going to college. Why go to college if it is worthless? Well, this depends on your definition of worthless. The problem now a days is that college will not get you a job, but that is not what college is for. It will get you to think differently and let you experience things that you never would have if you did not go to college. This is why my cousin Danny and I created a bucket list for my brother. This bucket list is a list of 15 things that Jimmy has to get done by the time he graduates college.  

#1 Join a non-academic club. 

Jimmy loves free time. He enjoys the fact that he is able to do anything he wants with that time. He has no appointments or plans. This is why Danny and I put this on his bucket list. Jimmy will end up joining a pharmaceutical club since it is his major, but he will not join a club for fun or to learn something new. He will join pharmaceutical club because he thinks it will help him get a job. It won't though. So we made the rule that Jimmy needed to join a non-academic club. We even provided him with a list of all of the non-academic clubs at URI. The list is very long so I will name a few; Ghost Hunting Club, Quiddich, Humans vs Zombies, and Paintball club. 

#2 Order a drink from 10 different countries. 

Having known Jimmy since he was born, I know that if it were possible, he would drink Orange Jug for the rest of his life. (Orange Jug is a jug that is colored orange. Legend has it that our mother only puts water in the jug and it magically changes to a different flavor like lemonade, fruit punch, or ice tea.) This is why we included this task. Jimmy will hopefully get this done by the end of his freshmen year. He could be a cheater and drink Earl Grey Tea or order an espresso, but I hope he tries something new. 

#3 Try 10 new meals

This is going to be tough. As much as we make fun of her for cooking chicken every night, my mother has provided my family with a different meal every night. Jimmy will most likely have to try different cultural cuisines to achieve a passing grade on this assignment. 

#4 Go on alternative Spring Break. 

I never went on one but wish I had. Alternative Spring Breaks are volunteer projects such as building houses or cleaning up a community. most schools will send students to areas such as South America, Africa, or impoverished towns in the USA.

#5 Go on the Cliff Walk in Newport, RI. 

Being so close to Newport, it would be a shame if Jimmy did not see the huge mansions and try to impress women by telling them that his family owned one. 

#6 Get coffee with a non-English speaking person.

The most interesting people are the ones who you have never talked to. Most people are afraid to talk to people who they cannot understand. this is why we provided Jimmy with a list of the phrase "Hello, my name is Jimmy. Would you like to get coffee with me?" in different languages.

#7 See Waterfire

This is a show that the Providence, RI theater district puts on after sundown. I am not 100% sure what it is but the pictures looked interesting and URI has a shuttle going to see it the first week of classes.

#8 Go on a school sponsored trip.

Many students do not take full advantage of this. Most schools provide day or overnight trips for little or no cost to the student. Some events could be a Celtics game, or visiting New York City for a couple of days. 

#9 Read one book for pleasure per semester. 

With all of the reading required for classes, students start to hate reading. This is why Jimmy is required to read one book for pleasure. It will prevent him from going insane between classes. It will also allow him to read some books that I know he did not read in high school such as the Great Gatsby or Catcher in the Rye. He will get to read these books without the time constraint. 

#10 "Boston in a Day"

Boston in a Day is a list of sights and activities that Jimmy must complete in 1 day. Some of these events are free and some are cheap. Eating a slice of Pizza at Regina's Pizzeria is going to be his favorite. With access to the T station in Providence, this should not be a problem. 

#11 See a performer you have never heard of.

Most schools put on shows for the students that are free. Most of the time these are unknown comedians or bands that are cheap for the school to hire. There is also the option of going to a local coffee shop and seeing a performer. 

#12 Perform on stage.

This is any form of performing, the only rule is that he needs to be sober. It will make the experience even more enjoyable and memorable. Karaoke counts.

#13 Visit a local Island

This includes Long Island, Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. The best part about this is that Jimmy has the option to take a Ferry to these destinations. It is cheap and a fun way to explore a new area.

#14 Sit with a new person at 1 meal a week. 

This will allow Jimmy to meet new people. In college, non of my friends ever wanted to wake up early to go to breakfast so I went by myself. I got to meet some interesting people that I never would have talked to because I was too busy with homework or spending time with my friends. 

#15 Let this be the only 15 you gain

Yes the "Freshmen 15" is real. Yes, Jimmy is not allowed to gain the "Freshmen 15"