No matter how many movies you watch, no matter how many stories you read, and no matter how many questions you ask, college is never what you expect it to be; especially if you are not going away to a four-year school. All throughout their high school years, teens dream about moving away, gaining an independence, and maybe even joining Greek life. When I decided to go to a community college senior year of high school, I felt a variety of emotions. Sadness was the most prevalent emotion. I chose to go to a community college because I was paying for college on my own (as so many college students do). I chose the logical path instead of the popular one. I would receive my Associate degree in two years and transfer to a university. This option costs me ten thousand dollars over two years, half the expense of only one-year tuition at most universities. Even though I chose my college education wisely, I was not happy about it. I did not see the possibility of what the first two years of college could have been.
As the first year of college went by, I was sad and upset about the lack of time I spoke to my friends, which also caused me to be upset about the lack of new friends I made at the community college. For the most part, students who attend a community college show up to class and then leave. This makes it difficult to become actual ‘life-long’ friends with other students. While my friends were away at school making life-long friends, partying, and gaining their independence, I was at home still trying to figure out how I would make it through two years of being at home.
Luckily, one ‘crazy’ Friday night, at the beginning of my sophomore year at my community college, I was home, alone, in my pajamas, watching The Amazing Race and something clicked in my mind. I finally knew what I wanted out of my college experience, and it was nothing out of the ordinary. I realized something so simple, yet it is so simple that I overlooked it. I realized that not everyone is the same. Everyone has different opinions of what college should be. I realized the reason I was sad was because I was not experiencing the ‘typical’ college experience, and I realized I was okay with that. I spent so much time moping about ‘the new adventures’ I was missing out on because I was not away at a four-year college, that I overlooked the adventure that was happening right before my eyes. I wanted my college experience to be unforgettable and far from ‘typical’. From that moment forward, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and went out of my comfort zone and made new friends and started living life. I began looking up places around where I lived, and I started going on day trips to new places with these friends. These trips turned into some of the best memories I will ever have. I went hiking where I experienced breathtaking views, swimming in waterfall pools (which made me feel like a real life mermaid), and going to the gardens where the flowers were so intricate they didn’t seem real. These trips beat the typical ‘kick back keg party’ that you would find at any college. As I went to school and on adventures, I also worked two jobs. I found this lifestyle so much more enjoyable than any expectation I had ever had since college.
When I finished my two years at community college, I transferred schools in the fall, and I ended up commuting to a university nearby my home. I made more friends at this university, and I have since gone on a multitude of adventures. I understand that my college experience is not your typical one, but I feel I gained more independence and responsibility than I think I would have ever had at a four-year college. Working two jobs, going to school full time, and also going on adventures has prepared me and have made me capable of handling my own life when I am ready to step into the real world. When teenagers begin the new chapters in their lives, college, they want to get different things out of it. Some may want to release their inner party animal while others may want their independence. To those teenagers who are about to embark on college and are either commuting to a university or attending a community college, it is not ordinary — it’s extraordinary! Though you may be missing out on living in a small, jammed packed dorm room, having fire alarms go off at the most inconvenient hours, and having cafeteria food on a daily basis; living at home, while going to school, allows you time to find yourself and do what you love. If you are reading this and you found yourself where I was two years ago, get up, go out and do what you love: start living your life!
