There are some people who love college.
These people are the people who don't cry when they leave home-- they cry when they have to go back. Their weekdays are a mix of class, group study sessions, and coffee dates. The weekend consists of a string of parties, Greek life mixers, and the occasional dose of homework. This is the "typical" college experience- the one I have seen plastered on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat consistently over the last three years. I can't help but feel a bit of sadness when I see these pictures, because that could have been my college experience. I could have an abundance of friends, be going out to party after party. I could be getting drunk every weekend, and making memories that I will look back on and laugh at with my own children.
But no. That's not me.
I don't love college. I'm at college for one reason and one reason only- to get my degree. I barely go to parties, I go home on most weekends, and instead of finding friends at school, I now have a greater awareness of who I shouldn't be friends with.
College hasn't been easy for me. Honestly, there have been more hard times than easy ones. More tears than laughter... more self-discovery than anything else.
I always felt a bit discouraged, because I always heard the words:
"These are the best four years of your life!"
And I just haven't found them to be whatsoever. I will probably want these times back one day, though. I will probably wish I went to more parties or found myself some really great friends. I have spent the last three and a half years wondering-- Why isn't this for me what it is for everyone else?
But here's another thing I've found-- A lot of people hide how they really feel about college. Not as many people love it as you think. A lot of people can't wait to be back at home with their families... and some people really do enjoy coming home every weekend. College is not for everyone, and if you are holding on to the notion that it really is the best time of your life, you are holding onto something that has the ability to destroy you.
We are more than our college experience. There is so much more to life than being in college. There is so much more to you than who you are in college.
I for one cannot wait to see what else life can bring me... I can't wait to raise a family, bring up children who are kind and who are going to make a difference in this world just by the love and light that they give off. I cannot wait to make new friends, new memories. I can't wait to travel, I can't wait to find a career I love... But most of all, I can't wait to continue to be the person I am and grow more and more confident in that person. College doesn't last forever, but the legacy that you leave does. The kind words you say, the contributions you make to the world, the people you touch, the children you raise... that is far more important than how many parties you went to and how many friends you had when you were 18.
The best is yet to come... keep on fighting, keep on living life to the fullest, and don't be discouraged if the "best years of your life" don't seem to be that way.
