"College sucks."
"It all goes downhill after graduation."
"You're going to beg to come back to high school."
All of the above are statements I was told my senior year and they could not have been more wrong, at least for me. I spent all of high school desperately wanting to leave, to move on and start the next chapter of my life. In my head, everyone felt the same way but apparently not in real life.
As I expressed my desire to leave and go to college, others expressed their disdain and projected it onto me. So, I am here to offer a different perspective to high school seniors. In the sea of negativity, here is your life jacket, the glimpse of hope I wish someone had offered to me.
If you are like me, eager to set out on a new adventure but hear the constant doubts of others, consider where this negativity is coming from.
Are those people at the university you're aspiring to go to? Do they have the same major as you? Did they ever want to leave in the first place?
All of this should be taken into account when regarding the "college sucks" rumor. I would suggest removing your focus from the advice being given and taking a deeper look at the person giving it. If they aren't in the place you are striving to be at, disregard it.
Because I went out of state for school, I only considered opinions from other students who went out of state as well. It's all about the context that information is being given in. If someone wasn't ready to leave high school, of course they are going to tell you that college sucks, but at the end of the day, they're not you.
No one is going to understand your goals and passions the way you do. So, don't expect them to and don't let their negativity make you second guess yourself. Take it from me. If you're ready to go, you're ready to go, so don't allow anyone to make you feel differently.
To the high school seniors on the brink of something new, be as eager as you want to be. Look ahead positively and allow yourself to feel excited. There is no obligation to fall into the "miserable college student" trap. Taking this leap into your future is going to be exactly what you make it.
Sure, it might be different and get difficult at times but that's exactly the point. Nothing new ever comes easy and it isn't supposed to. The beauty of moving on is being able to experience everything for yourself and not having to rely on the comments of others.
As you begin this journey, keep your eyes wide open as well as your mind. Chase after precisely what you want and ignore the negativity trying to deter you from your path. Just because someone else's college experience "sucks," does not mean yours is going to.
Of all the stress that already goes into this process, refrain from letting other people's attitudes add to it. It is going to be okay and be only what you make of it. There is your life jacket; hold on to it.
