We often hear the words, “College will be the best four years of your life, enjoy it,” and a wave of expectations are set. Some may feel a sense of excitement, as ideas of late-night partying and a lack of responsibilities fill their heads. Some may feel a sense of anxiety as they think about trying to get every single drop of “fun” out their system in the next four years. I challenge the phrase, “College will be the best four years of your life.” To me, it implies an ending. An ending to new experiences, excitement, and upheaval. Instead, the phrase should state, “College will be the best four years of your life thus far,” and your life should continue to reach new heights every moment after your college graduation.
Everyone’s idea of fun is different. Yet college paints an image of what a “fun college experience” is supposed to look like. Movies, television and the “Back when I was in college…” stories that are shared at the dinner table, create abstract ideas of drinking, sex and partying that create a portrait of the ideal college students’ life. This colorful depiction actually holds truth. Across a breadth of sources, this statistic remains consistent: 80 percent of college students consume alcohol on a regular basis. However, is this statistic an effect of the expectations of what college students imagine college to be? When only 11percent of incoming freshmen are heavy drinkers, it is clear that college is a catalyst. This is not an analysis on the consumption of alcohol by college students, but an analysis on perceptions and reality. College students are just living out a self-fulfilling prophecy, with the campus as their canvas they try to become what they see and squeeze every drop of “fun” out of the “best four years of their lives.”
Of course, college is a fun experience. You have the most freedom you've ever had with the least amount of responsibility. It is a time of endless opportunities. Last week, I traveled with a group of students from Spelman and Morehouse that took advantage of a wonderful opportunity presented by Moody’s. We were flown out to New York, given luxurious hotel rooms and meals. We spent two days meeting senior level employees and gaining career development skills. We were all grateful for the amazing opportunity, but across the board, no one felt like it was their last time gaining this type of experience. We all had hope for our future. Don't let college become the peak of your life, but a prequel for the many more amazing things about to come your way.
