I had a friend tell me that I was missing out on life because I was living at home.

She went on to tell me that college is your "time to find yourself and become who you're meant to be," but I don't think that is true for all people. I don't think I need parties to figure out who I am. I don't need constant alcohol in my life to have fun, and I definitely don't need to be away from home any more than I already have been.

My story is different.

My story is not hers.

My story is not anyone else's but my own.

At the ripe age of four I knew I was going to college. I knew I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps of being successful even though I had no idea what it was she actually did.

I quickly realized she and I were vastly different individuals. I wanted to wear overalls, she gave me dresses; I like blue, she liked red; I would watch "Harry Potter," she would put on the History Channel.

We didn’t see eye-to-eye but we somehow found our way through the tangle that was our mother-daughter relationship.

As time drew near to select a college, I had options and I was excited for the new chapter I was beginning in my life. But upon arriving on campus that fall, college was not what I had expected.

After attending a boarding school, there were many things that weren’t new to me that many of my peers were excited or nervous about. Things like being away from home, living with friends, having a roommate, managing their time between classes, sports, and clubs, and various other things.

Culver had already given me that.

Culver had prepared me with what was to be expected of me going away, because I had already done it.

My mom said to give it time, and I did. I went to classes, joined a sport, hung out with my friends and went to parties. And although it was fun for a bit, I wanted more…

That was when I realized that maybe college wasn’t for me. Maybe I was meant to take a different path from the social norm of attending college—maybe I wasn't going to follow in my mother's footsteps after all.

So, I went home.

Upon my first semester at home, I thought I made a drastic mistake, but a week later—about midway through the first semester—I realized I wasn’t bored; I was busy and learning more about myself than I had while being away.

College is not for everyone.

It is not the deemed path for all of us and I think the earlier people come to that realization the better off they will be.

Being at home, working, going to school, and having a social life is what I will be expected to manage once I have a real job anyways (minus the school, unless I choose to further my education).

There is nothing wrong with taking a different path than the intended norm. There is nothing wrong with figuring out who you are and what you want to do in a different setting than the masses.

Being home has given me the opportunity to flourish personally and professionally, strengthen my relationship with my family, and allow me to see my opportunities and seize them on my own.

I’ve realized that, yes there will be people to help you get places, but to get there in the first place you have to be driven—you have to want it for yourself. Other people can want something for you, but until you want it for yourself and are willing to work hard to get it, people aren’t going to take that chance on you.

College wasn’t for me because although the school was a perfect fit, it didn’t have my interests tailored to me.

I live in Illinois. I’m 30 minutes away from the city (on good traffic days), and I have unlimited opportunities for me everywhere I turn. "The Odyssey" was not yet targeting community colleges when I applied to work for them. I knew that I loved to write, I knew that I was in a community where there were other great writers who had voices and stories to be shared, so I submitted my application to build an "Odyssey" community at my school.

Now, we have a team of writers. I’m an editor-in-chief for them and I have a mentor that is unlike any woman I have had the privilege of meeting in the writing/journalism field. She is a source of writing wisdom, brilliance and positivity when I’m stuck or need help; that isn’t something I would have done while away at school because I had yet to realize who I was, what I had to offer, and where I wanted to go.

Until I realized my passion—my end goal—I couldn’t act on it.

I had nothing pushing me in the direction of my potential.

This internship with "The Odyssey" pushes me to write more, dedicate my time to crafting my article and taking the time to become and even better leader to my team.

College is expected of every student graduating from high school these days, but remember that not every person has the same path. In my field alone, many of the greatest journalists didn’t even attend college for journalism, or attend college at all.

Unless you are fully aware of your passions and talents, and have an end goal in mind for yourself, don’t feel pressured to succumb to the masses.

Find your path.

Find yourself.

Find your strengths.

Find your opportunities.

Make you your priority.

Your decisions, regardless of what we believe, can potentially change the world, so make sure the path you take puts you in the position to make the change that you were meant to make.

If I hadn’t come home would "Odyssey" still be exclusive to four-year universities?

If I hadn’t come home would I have an internship doing what I love?

If I hadn’t come home would I have realized what I’m meant to do?

Maybe.

But they are a reality, right now, for a reason—because I chose the path that best suited me.

I hope you find the path that best fits you.

College is not for everyone, because not everyone needs to go away from home to learn more about who they are.