The transition from high school to college is an awkward and unique event for every student. This is an example of my “everyday life” as a college student by Simon Lin. Each of the images displayed in the example create a glimpse into the life of a college student. The essay narrates the audience through the labyrinth of the college life. All of the images are in chronological order which demonstrates a constant and repetitive cycle of the everyday life as a student. The number of students vary in each image which shows that at different points of the day, the subjects must work together or in solitude to accomplish their goals. Time is a major theme throughout the photo essay, it is used every day to determine what daily goals are needed to be accomplished such as getting to class, sleep and socializing. The first image suggests focus. Without focusing, one cannot accomplish the various tasks of the day.  The next image suggests significance. The word significance can have many different meanings to different people, but every student on campus has his/her own activity that is important to his/her day. Image three suggests a glimpse into one’s day. Everyone needs time to wind down, even if it is only for an hour. Socializing with old and new friends is important in college. Image four represents studying- what’s required in a college student’s everyday life. The last image represents long days. Most college students do not get the normal 8-10 hours of sleep because of the assignments and prior commitments that need to be done.   

In the first image, there is an extreme close-up and an establishment shot which runs from the head to the shoulder. It also creates the foundation of the story. It allows for a close image of the position of the subject. The majority of the image is blurred with the exception of the alarm clock to symbolize time management and the earliness of classes. The subject is lying in bed to indicate a rough day ahead and a result of limited sleep. The time is 6:36 am and bolded which symbolizes the urgency of the start of classes in the near future, but also reminds us that him/her hit the snooze button six minutes earlier. The subject digs their face into the pillow hoping to warp back time by an hour, minute, or just a few seconds to get more sleep. Natural light is seen rushing through the windows casting shadows to show a brand new day; a clean slate.

The picture of the subject running is a long shot which shows the subject’s entire body. It allows the audience to see the significance of the subject’s position and the activity in which they are participating. The subjects “position” is important because a good posture indicates confidence. The subject is alone, which symbolizes independence and responsibility. It attributes to the importance of daily exercise. The background of the image is also different from the rest of the images because it is located outside. The importance of the picture focusing on the outside could be a metaphor comparing college students versus the outside world. The radiant mood of the photo is created through the vivid lighting of the background. The runner’s uniform plays a major role because it helps to identify a person. The uniform is important because it shows that the runner belongs to a team. Being involved in teams and extra-curricular activities in college is important because it helps the student become a well-rounded person. 

The image of six subjects in the picture is only a slim part of the day where the student is able to relax and concentrate less on academics and more on entertainment. Relaxation is an important part of college. No one does well when he/she is always on the go all the time. It always feels good to sit back and relax after a big test or final paper. Many students get stressed out and forget to relax. Stress can lead to frustration, tiredness and many other things that can hold one back from making good grades in college. A few of the students who are staring directly at the audience are communicating as a group whereas the students who are not staring at the camera are participating in their own activity. The image of a long shot which indicates the significance of the background of the college dorm which is where many college students socialize. Many students take the time to make his/her dorm room feel a lot like home. It is a lot easier to come back to a dorm room when it reminds you of somewhere that he/she feels comfortable in. It is important that students have somewhere to go to unwind besides the library or the bookstore.  The facial expression juxtaposes the emotion of each individual from a bland look to an awkwardly excited smile. Each person is sitting or lying to show that the state of the room is at ease.

The image of the two students studying at Thomas Cooper Library is a medium shot. The white board symbolizes the work and information gathered in class. The white walls in the study rooms are also important. Bland, white, blank walls indicate focus. There is not anything to focus on besides what one is studying. They are purposely bland because study rooms are supposed to represent focus and accomplishment of tasks. The two subjects are faced away from the camera which symbolizes the focus of the image is not the students, but what the students are staring at. Study is also a major theme in college life because it increases the chances of the student successfully passing the class. Since the two subjects are facing the board it shows that there is a fine line between socializing and studying since both subjects’ attention is focused on the information on the board.

The final image is back in the same bed as the first image. It is a long shot which shows the whole body of the student. The entire image is blurred out again except for the alarm clock which symbolizes the significance of the time. The time shows 1:53 am, which is signifies the lateness of the day. The image would indicate a passive transition back to the first image of the student in the morning. The same subject is in each picture but in a different pose, it shows the audience that the essay is focus on one main character and different activity that needs to be attended to each day. The subject is also blurred so that the photo essay is more universal to the readers. Only photos were used to capture the heat of the moment throughout the span of the day. Artificial light is used to demonstrate the artificial smile behind the long day of difficult novice work and the slumber craving eyes.

The concept of time affects life not only throughout college but beyond, in the fast paced world. Life in college is simply day to day activities, like working in an assembly line, every day is repetitive. Every day counts until the last second in learning something new or communicating with peers and forming new and lasting relationships and ultimately with the greatest goal in mind, the day where all the work pays off and the students graduate to continue learning or begin their careers. There is a time to start college and a time to finish.
