I am taking my first sociology class this semester, and honestly, it has been extremely eye opening. I think that we are all nerds in some way (or ways) and one of the ways that I am a nerd is that I absolutely love school and am usually pretty invested in my classes. I consider tests and papers to be a reflection of me as a person. Because of this, instead of only thinking about sociology three times a week in class, I have allowed it to consume my thoughts and make me question everything that I know.

If you want a crash course in what I have learned in sociology so far this semester, basically it is just that the American Dream is not real. There are chance things that skyrocket people to the top but for the most part, people reproduce their own social class. I have always known that I am privileged, but it has been very weird sitting in sociology class and learning exactly what that means, and what opportunities I have gotten that others haven't simply because I am a white middle-class person. The thing that bothers me is that I think that I work hard, but the more I take this class the more I start to think that I really haven't earned anything at all.

For example, this summer I worked at an art studio. I was really proud of myself too because I searched all over for a job and emailed all of the art studios around me. I thought I was being so awesome and assertive and I was so proud of myself for putting myself out there and getting a job on my own. But now that I think about it, that was only possible because of other reasons that were out of my control. My middle-class parents can afford to send me to college, so I can put "Art major" on a resume. They can afford a car, so I can drive to work. They can afford clothes that I look clean and presentable in. So how much work did I really have to do to make this happen? Have I ever earned anything?

I don't really have the answer as to what to do about this. You can't take away the privilege that you've grown up with, and even if you could it wouldn't help anybody else who doesn't have that privilege. At the very least, I think that we should all try and realize how lucky we are. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way because someone somewhere would kill for that opportunity instead of laying in their bed debating on whether or not it was worth it. Appreciate everything that you have, and work hard so that someday you can help someone else who wasn't born quite as lucky as you.