The long and hot summer has passed; autumn has come to Dongguk University. One word comes up to my mind when I think of autumn: “Emptiness.” Maybe it is because autumn is a season when all the green leaves turn brown and fall down on the ground. We, human beings, are not that different from leaves. Unlike spring, the fall season refers to the end of the year. We need to finalize the work we have been doing on this year and reflect our past experiences for the better next year. But, unfortunately, that is easier said than done.
It seems like many Donggukians are regretting their past time by putting their complaints on Facebook page called, “Dongguk Bamboo Forest.” I personally like looking through the writing of this page because I can see what the other students are encountering, thinking, and feeling. A recent issue hitting Donggukians is the relationship with others. About six out of ten postings were about unstable friendships and relationships.
Reading the postings, I could empathize with them because I also have been the one who used to suffer from the same problem. For me, university life was a hardship, not an opportunity. Nothing has been the same with what I imagined before I got into university. I have avoided meeting and getting along with new people because that was the worst part of my university life. However, I changed my mind. I realized living my life by avoiding and complaining was unproductive. That thought became a motivation to live differently with a different mindset. I tried hard to get out of my own frame of mind. Now, I am a completely different person compared to who I was last year.
Autumn, it is the season when all the leaves fall down. But in other words, it is also the season when all the leaves are preparing for the next greener leaves. We are all the same. It is not the end of the year, but a period to restart a life. Why do not we try more rather than regretting and complaining?