“College is some of the best years of your life!” Well, sure, it can be. Don’t get me wrong, college has already been a lot of fun and basically a vacation away from home, but is it really all that everyone makes it out to be? If you’re a college student, you probably know what I’m talking about. If you aren’t a college student, hear what myself, and most likely many other college students, have to say about the reality of college.
Looking back at my senior year of high school, the words “I can’t wait for college,” would come out of my mouth daily. Man, was I in for a rude awakening. Also thinking back, I would constantly complain about my academics. In defense, senior year was stressful. Finishing high school, prepping for college and even getting accepted into college for that matter, were all constantly on my mind. An hour seemed like such a long time to work on your homework every night, right? Wrong. I’m almost done with my first year of college, and I can truthfully say the library has become my second home. I spend at least three to four, five hours on my busy weeks, on my school work at a time. The only way to describe a normal week is the constant feeling of having to do something school related.
OK, we are at the collegiate level, a ton of work is expected. Now I want to talk about the constant stress I obtain thinking about my future. Sure, you think you have it all planned out, but my future still crosses my mind every day, and it honestly terrifies me. What if what I have planned doesn’t turn out the way I want it to? It’s actually really scary to think that the work you do now will reflect what’s going to happen after college. Not only do I have future plans for myself, but other people have them for me, too. Parents, friends and professors expect you to succeed. Not only is it on you to do well, it’s expected of your peers. Again, not only are you expected to get good grades, you are also expected to be a good Samaritan! Yes, that’s right. For my fellow science majors, this means you will have to put in volunteer or research hours. For my business students, this means internships and co-ops.
Not only is college work a lot of time and effort, but it’s also burning a huge hole in all of our pockets. Laundry, snacks, toiletries, Starbucks and money to participate in fun things on the weekends, it all adds up fast. Not only are you paying for tuition, but you are paying for pretty much everything else now that you are on your own. Speaking of being on your own, yes, you are now on your own. This means you will get homesick at some point in time. If you are like me, you will constantly be calling your parents to vent, chat or ask for advice.
All of these things aren’t ideal when you’re talking college, but it's reality. So many people talked up college and even said, “College is some of the best years of your life!” These people were absolutely right. Although college is not as hype as everyone makes it out to be, college really has been the best time of my life. I believe there is beauty in the struggle. Even having an occasional mental breakdown, I appreciate college for what it is. So, if you’re reading this and you are in college already, you can totally relate. If you haven’t made it to college, I hope you now understand what all college kids go through. For as many times as I tell my mom (jokingly, of course) that I contemplate dropping out, I wouldn’t trade the college experience for anything.
