Who are we? Or, better yet, who do we want to be? When the myriad social, political, and cultural pressures that influence this question are considered, it becomes incredibly difficult to answer. But we humans don't give up that easily; we persist. At our best, we strive to understand ourselves, and the world around us, as fully and complexly as possible. Through doing this, we attempt to define the self, define who we are. After all, introspection is a sacred human pastime. But the definition of the self is an elusive one, and we are rarely the sole contributors to it. Usually, those around us have an alarming degree of influence upon how we are perceived, and more importantly, how we perceive ourselves. This is disheartening and serves to disenfranchise the individual. However, with millions of students returning to schools across the country, an inkling of hope arises.
It’s terrifying to leave home and abandon the identity we have created for ourselves, but it is simultaneously liberating to know that we freshman have a rare opportunity available to us: we are able to forge our own identity. This hope for an identity which is entirely our own is empowering and occurs infrequently throughout our lives. In adolescence, our immaturity hindered the creation of a genuine self. We were limited by the narrow scope with which we perceived the world, restricted by our lack of experience. As a result, those around us often decided how we were perceived. And when the time came to redefine ourselves, there was an overwhelming amount of social judgment that discouraged us from doing so. Thus, we were marginalized, no longer the sole proprietor of our identity. College, however, provides a hopeful opportunity to those who decide to utilize it. It is an opportunity to regain sovereignty over one’s existence. We acknowledge the person we were, evaluate who we are now and ultimately decide upon the person we want to be in the future.
The most important aspect of college is finding out who we wish to be. For without direction, what utility does an education actually serve? The wealth of knowledge that we accumulate remains untapped if we are not ardently applying it. We must discover our passions by openly and purposefully studying as widely as possible. And upon discovering the subjects we care about, it is in our best interest to be bold and define ourselves without consideration for external influences. A disregard for the type of deconstructive, baseless criticism of others — that is all-too-common in modern society — is one of the most valuable attributes one can have upon arriving at college. There would be far-reaching societal changes if everyone took advantage of the opportunity to develop an identity in which they were entirely confident. Imagine a society in which a greater majority of individuals fervently enjoyed their daily lives. Consider a community whose members were passionate, empathetic, and driven. Would this not engender further positive change and serve to create an all-around more productive and accepting society? This utopia is attainable, if we, the students, put forth the conscious effort to make it so. Although this is not a new idea, it is worth reiterating at the start of every school year. This time of year inspires us to think critically and deeply about how we define ourselves and to utilize the opportunity college presents us with, the opportunity to remake ourselves in any way we see fit.
