I can't. . . .I have to study

Tomorrow is the major colloquium for all of the masters students in the drama/English program. I also feel as though it's going to be the moment where I decide whether or not I'm going to continue past the masters level, with my one-foot-in-academia-and-the-other-in-the-theatre plan, or just go for the theatre whole hog. That in and of itself might not seem unusual. But what is unusual is that I'm not basing my decision on my performance in the colloquium. I'm basing my decision on whether or not the rest of my classmates show up. We've all been agonizing over this together, and we're all supposed to go to everyone else's panels, but I'm in the first panel of the day, and from the rumblings I'm hearing, it seems like everyone is planning to skip the morning panel to polish/finish their presentations. This kind of situation seems to be endemic to this program/Guelph/academia in general. Study before life. Study before fun. Study before supporting friends. Above all, study. I hate this mindset and think it's a stupid and unnecessary way to run your life. And if, tomorrow, I don't see some sort of glimmer of team spirit and solidarity, then I'm getting my degree and getting out, out, far out. Because the self-involvement of the most utterly spoiled actor ain't got nothing on the narcissism of academics.