I remember watching a debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential election. One of the friends I was watching with was clearly a republican, but despite his conservative views he insisted that he was going to vote for Obama. We kept asking his opinion about this and that and it was pretty obvious that Romney was who he sided with. I couldn’t quite understand why he was so insistent on voting for Obama, especially with his conservative mindset. Then it finally dawned on me that he was probably only supporting Obama because everyone else he knew was doing the same. It’s no secret that most college age students are liberal, but this made me realize maybe we need to educate ourselves a little more before actually affiliating with political parties.

With the 2016 election swiftly approaching, it seems like every other day a new presidential hopeful announces his or her bid for presidency. In the age of technology, it’s so easy to get caught up in social media and what everyone else has to say about the candidates. Opinions whether educated or uneducated are circulating all over the internet, and as college students, our votes are extremely important. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, college aged students make up 24% of the voting population. That’s roughly 46 million eligible voters between the ages of 18-29. We can make a significant impact on the results of this election, but none of that matters if we are ignorant about our candidates.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a democrat or republican. I encourage you to research ALL the candidates (I know, there’s a ton of them) and decide who best reflects your values and ideas. Now, when I say research the candidates, I don’t mean getting on Facebook or Twitter and reading what your friends are saying about Donald Trump. Look up the candidates’ official websites, read articles from reliable sources, watch the debates, etc.

This probably seems a little overwhelming, especially with over 20 candidates in the running, but there's a plethora of resources out there to help you. isidewith.com is an awesome website that allows you to take a quick survey regarding some of the more popular issues such as abortion, education, immigration, and gun control. After taking the quiz, it aligns your beliefs with the potential candidates and tells you who you had the most in common with. This is a great starting point in getting to know who's running, and to familiarize yourself with the issues.

You don’t have to be super into politics, but you should at the very least be informed. After all, YOU have the power to choose who leads this country, and your vote counts way more than you think. That being said, the reality is that social media is not a reliable source for information regarding any candidate and I’m urging you not to buy into it. Realize that social media, along with most television stations are incredibly biased. Obviously there’s no avoiding that, so be aware that what your friends are saying and what the news media decides to run may not be entirely accurate. Do your own research, formulate your own opinion, and vote for who you think best represents your values and can best lead this country. And most importantly, do not let other people tell you who that person is for you.