The Most Important Thing in College: GUM
After living for 20 years, I have realized something essential for everyone: Gum is the most important thing you can have in college. Yes, you heard that right, gum, more specifically a pack of gum, is the most important thing you can have. Whether you place it in your backpack, pocket, or bottom of the shoe(not recommended) here are three reasons why:
It’s a great way to make friends.
Carry around some gum on your first day of classes, and BOOM, instant friends are made. Here is roughly how it goes, “want some gum?” “Yes, let’s be friends”… ok, maybe that’s not how it goes, but it really is a great conversation starter. You can give someone a piece and ask if they like it, ask what their favorite kind of gum is, and of course, the centuries-old debate of Wintergreen and Spearmint (wintergreen, ftw btw). Gum is also cheap enough where it’s ok for someone to accept it without feeling guilty, and since it doesn’t make a tri-dent in your wallet, you feel ok giving it out. Finding friends in college is hard enough, and the small 2 dollar pack of gum will make it a lot easier.
It’s good for the environment.
Listen, I have no idea if it’s actually good for the environment, but I know it is recyclable. Here is the situation, you just got back from seeing BTS at Agganis Arena and have an awesome new tour poster itching to get on the wall. You open your desk drawer, and OH NO…the tape has run out. Now, do you wait until the morning and buy new tape at CVS, or do you want to slap that wad gum, you’ve been chewing on for the past three hours, on the wall and enjoy your new poster… Gum is reusable in senses you could never imagine; have a nail in your bike tire? Stuff it in the whole the nail left, fixed! Do you have an enemy running after you? Throw it on the ground, and they’ll be stuck there for hours.
It’s a low price for some fun.
Not everything that is fun needs to be expensive. And if you want a cheap 15-minute fix that will help you get through your (always entertaining!!) lecture, it is worth it.
Frankly, I might be overdoing it. Gum has its downsides: it’s sticky, it’s sugary. Also, chewing gum can potentially cause mercury to be released from mercury amalgam fillings…I just copied that from the internet. But there is something to be said about having little things in life and college that make your day better. Whether it’s to make new friends, hang a poster, or just to help you get through your day, buy some gum.
