While it may be cheaper, the cops can easily bust in and ticket you, or worse yet, stop you on the street if they have reason. (So stop traveling in groups of 15 up and down Maryland, newbs!)

Welcome to freshmen yea-….wait a second. This isn’t freshmen year. Where the hell did all the time go? If you’re not careful as an underclassman, the college years can easily slip past you in the blink of an eye. Well, either the blink of an eye or a flurry of studying, drinking and eating.

Growing up isn’t all bad, though. It has just as many perks as being younger has flaws.

First of all, being a fifth-year senior means a couple of obvious things. One that stands out is being able to go to the bars. While the young ones can get fake IDs, they haven’t a clue as to where to use them.

As an older, wiser upperclassman you may even know some bartenders by this time. This only makes your nights cheaper and that much more enjoyable. Your knowledge of the good bars and the good deals is years ahead of the younger ones.

That being said, a fifth year senior is far too old to go to a five dollar house party. It’s alright if it’s your party or one of you best friends shin digs, but under no circumstances should you be the oldest by two years. You should, at the very least, know over 75 percent of the people attending. If not, it’s time to grow up, my friends.

The freshmen get to gallivant around every night to some barrel or another if they so choose. While it may be cheaper, the cops can easily bust in and ticket you or worse yet, stop you on the street if they have reason. (So stop traveling in groups of 15 up and down Maryland, newbs!)

If you do make it back to the dorms safely (we hope), and at a decent time (your parents hope), you have Palm Gardens in the dorms. If there is anything I miss about the dorms, it’s the food. The greasy, deep fried, high cholesterol deliciousness of Palms is the best thing about the dorms, bar none.

So the freshmen have food and cheaper parties, but lack the experience to put it to good use. The fifth-year senior has the knowledge of the bar scene and maybe some bartenders, but still may have to pay a pretty penny to have a good time. So what else is there?

Well, besides party knowledge, the upper class has the know-how and the means to get to, around, and off campus. We know where all of the buildings are that we need to know. We have cars, mopeds and bikes as our means of transportation. We know professors personally by this point and hopefully do not have to sit in any 300 person lectures any more.

However, the freshmen still have all of their electives to pick, which for super-seniors may be limited in choice. That international GER may be a monkey on your back, forcing you to take one of the aforementioned 300 person lectures. And those are all filled with freshmen…non-stop talking, whiny, fidgety freshmen who don’t know their major or where the Union is yet.

So if knowledge is power, the upper class holds it by the bucket full. If the learning process is what counts, the freshmen have it made. We may have student loans piling up, but at least we know how, and where, to have the times of our lives. Fifth-year seniors (and any seniors), win.

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