I grew up in a very white-dominant town, population-wise. I was always surrounded by the same people, white people specifically, for the first 18 years of my life. I never viewed this as an issue, nor did I ever think about how life would be if I had grown up elsewhere.

Upon arriving at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, I experienced a culture shock. I was suddenly around people of all different cultures and backgrounds; I didn’t know how to act/react. However, as I’ve gotten to know the people of these different cultures and backgrounds, they’ve become some of my best friends and I feel I am a better, more well-rounded person from getting to understand them.

In the last few decades, there’s been a dramatic shift in the makeup of campus populations in terms of race, gender, gender identification, religion and other factors. Race-conscious factors are simply crucial in a university setting. Diversity is incredibly essential on college campuses because it intensifies self-awareness and the real world is diverse.

It is important to have diversity on college campuses, for it amplifies self-awareness.By the time teenagers are college-aged and arrive on their various campuses, their personalities have already formed. In addition, their personalities have been shaped by their childhood and adolescent experiences.Thus, being around those with different past lifestyles than a person significantly enhances one’s self-insight, and one’s sense of self as a whole. It opens one’s eyes to just how much diversity is out there in the world.

In addition, the ability to collaborate and work as a team is important in any environment, and working in diversified groups just enhances this learning experience. The purpose of college overall is to prepare students for the workforce, and the workforce nowadays is more competitive than ever. Because of this, employers are looking for well-rounded, hard-working young people with lots of experience in different classroom situations as well as social situations. Surrounding one’s self with people of all types of skin color and cultural differences will benefit students in the long run.

Diversity is very important on college campuses because the world beyond college is diverse. Diversity within colleges is very beneficial, preparing students to enter the constantly evolving workforce. Employers are pushing more and more for diversity within the workforce. It is even predicted that by 2050, about half of the American workforce will be comprised of people of color.

By attending a diverse university, students get to experience many different cultures, values, and ideals. While dealing with people of other cultures, there is a different set of rules that they abide by. Things that may be polite can be seen as offensive in their eyes. When being exposed to many different cultures in school and making friends from different backgrounds students can learn how to interact with people of different cultures. This is a very important skill to have, especially in an evolving workforce where many tasks are team oriented.

Being surrounded by many cultures also helps students think of their later job opportunities from a global perspective. Diversity within colleges helps students gain a global perspective and develop social skills that students can use well beyond graduation, in their careers and in life.

Diversity is necessary on college campuses, for it helps develop social skills necessary to get ahead in the real world. It provides students with a global perspective and creates many opportunities that students would not have otherwise. Everyday the world, specifically the United States, is becoming more and more diverse and the experiences and advantages gained through attending a diverse college are priceless.