Some may wonder: why should we go to college? We think we should for the obvious reasons, such as to get a degree and a substantial job in the workforce, but I can say from my own personal experience, this question holds a much more explicit meaning. I think we should go to college to challenge ourselves and allow our mind to mature. We can take control of our own education and our own lives and we can truly learn what it means to be independent.

Many people go to college because their parents expect them to, but once they get here, they often feel differently. I know that once I got here things changed for me. I got here and became eager to challenge myself and discover a new side to me, one who was more focused on her life goals, and who was more independent, and that’s exactly what happened. I came to college really still in the mentality of a high school senior, not exactly sure how I would fit into my new college world, but I eventually found a purpose and a happy medium and each day I spend here I look forward to my next challenge. I see myself changing every day, becoming a unique individual who strives to challenge herself in ways she never had a desire to before. I look forward to the next challenging academic course I can take and the next obstacle I have to overcome in college. It’s all a really gratifying experience and I’d say we should all go to college to find that sense of gratification and self-worth.

College is really where we find ourselves. We find out who we want to be in the world and what it means to be our own person. You can’t find out who you are in high school because it’s not a place where you can’t be in charge of yourself. You can’t take control of what you want, and you can’t grow to be your own individual. College is where we come to do this, at least it has been for me. I’ve learned more about who I am as a person during not even a full semester in college than I have in all my 4 years in high school. I’ve challenged myself with my academics, discovered how to be my own person, and discovered what I want to strive for in life.

So for those of you high school seniors and juniors who wonder, “why even go to college," don’t go for anyone else but yourself. Know that college will better you as a person. It will help you find yourself as an individual and it will challenge you in ways that can only benefit you. Don’t be afraid of the challenge of letting go of that dependency you may have felt for the majority of your life, because I can say from my own personal experience that college can only bring great things into your life. So go to college, there are so many reasons you should.