Editors Letters’ “No more half measures”

As we all know, the wealth of opportunities and enterprises that university life offers is mind-boggling. As Disney’s The Lion King so rightly underlines, there is more to do than can ever be done, and this extends to everything from selecting which societies to make your stamp on, down to the seemingly simple task of choosing between simultaneous film nights.

Undeniably, such variety is what makes uni life so fun, individuated, and rewarding. But for every opportunity you grab with both hands, there are those sharp pangs of guilt over all the alternatives which are eschewed in the process. It might sound daft, but occasionally, we all encounter those kneejerk worries that maybe – just maybe – we should have made different decisions in the shaping of our personal experiences.

But for every opportunity you grab with both hands, there are those sharp pangs of guilt over all the alternatives which are eschewed in the process.

Indulge me for a moment: as happens so often in my obsessive life, there is a corresponding moment from Breaking Bad  which complements this this notion rather cogently. One of my favourite episodes of the series is a pivotal chapter entitled ‘Half Measures’. Its centrepiece arrives in the form of a quiet scene set in Walter White’s family home, wherein he receives a visit from the burly Mike Ehrmantraut.

In five mesmerising minutes, Mike recounts to Walter his time as a beat cop in Philadelphia, focusing on a particular case involving a wife-beating monster. I’ll keep this a spoiler-free zone, but the crux of the story is simple. “I chose a half measure, when I should have gone all the way. I’ll never make that mistake again.”

Thankfully, here at Warwick, no decision is a matter of life and death (or so I’d hope, at least). But the message is quite applicable in of itself: stand by the choices you make, and see them through with no second-guessing. It’s impossible to leave university having accomplished every single thing that you wanted to, but recognising this fact makes us more attuned to – and appreciative of – exactly what we do choose to immerse ourselves in.

By no means is this a hard-and-fast rule to live by. But with so many new adventures to sample, essays to write, and friends to devote time to, I am accountable only to myself when it comes to balancing my time and ensuring that I enjoy every moment as much as I possibly can. Yes, university offers a time to be flexible, and commitments need not be signed in blood. But do take pride in whatever choices you make, and commit to them. Stick to your guns, master your craft, and down the whole Eliminator. Full measures, not half measures.

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Header Image Courtesy of: Flickr.com/ Broadway Tour