Not everyone is fortunate enough to go to college, and some just chose not to go. For those of us who are attending, we are gaining much more than a degree. Sure, we will walk out of our university with a bachelor's degree of some sort in our hands, but the real reason we went to college was for the experiences.
Now when I say experiences, most people immediately think of huge parties where substances are being abused. While that is a part of college for some, there is much more than that. Being on your own for the first time allows one a lot more freedoms than they are used to. No longer are we bound by the rules of our parents and we set the path for our futures.
Most of us move into the dorms our freshman year and the bond some people have with their floor is strong. You all are there in the same situation and are trying to find your way in this suddenly much larger world. You see these people every day, all year long. You see each other first thing in the morning when nobody has even brushed their teeth, you see excitement and disappointment when others return from exams, and you see how everyone grows as the year progresses. Not everyone likes every single person on their floor; Some don't even learn the names of the people who live next door to them.
The people we absent-mindedly sit by in each new lecture can have a big impact on us as well. Some people you will bond with over a particularly hard class when they lean over and ask "Do you get this?" and another replies, "Dude, not at all!"
Helping the other lost kids navigate through a tough course is a true means for friendship. Others we sit by will just be a source of idle conversation, but one day they might notice you seem down or when they ask about your weekend and you say it wasn't great, and they will offer their kindness. The connections we make with fellow students can come from a variety of places such as classes, clubs, or just existing on campus. Living in a place where everyone is relatively the same age can make it easier to form relationships.
College isn't all just making connections with new people. Academics is, after all, why we are here and what should matter most. Picking your major can be a difficult one, and your choice in the end can be life changing. Some people find their calling by chance of an elective class or a professor noticing some great potential in them. Sometimes random classes we take just to fill the space can teach us lessons that we will remember many years after we leave the classroom. Things my creative writing professor said to me will stick in my mind for my whole writing career. I think I will also remember one of my 101 professors excitedly running up and down a huge lecture hall just because they were so pumped about cells. You will love and hate your professors, but in the end, it's the messages that they give us that help shape us into the adults we are meant to be.
What we do in our free time, besides binge watch Netflix, can really make or break our feelings towards college. These precious hours not in class, or work, or doing homework are coveted. You can hang out with friends and explore the new place you call home, join organizations to find new interests, and, yes, even attend a social gathering or two. Everyone who has attended college has, at least, a few crazy stories to share. Some are more crazy and stupid than others. If you just sit in your room all weekend and don't put yourself out there, then you won't get the full college experiences you went there for.
This time in our lives when we are just ending our time as teenagers, and we figure out where we are headed in our careers is very defining. The people we meet may stay with us for the rest of our days; some may even find their true love walking around campus. The things we do academically and socially will bring us memories and skills we can't learn anywhere else. This is the time to make mistakes, to reinvent ourselves, and to find out who we are meant to be. When you walk across the stage at commencement, be sure that the degree they hand you is more than what you leave with.
