When I received my acceptance letter from the University of Georgia, I was ecstatic. My future was taking shape and I had taken another step towards my dream of becoming a sports journalist. Of course, having just been accepted to one of the top academic schools in the south (and the country), I wanted to tell everyone. Yet, it seemed almost every person I told over the age of 25 (give or take) was skeptical of my excitement. Their happiness for me was paired with a foreboding warning. It was like I was hiding some ulterior motive, and somehow, with their mind reading powers that all adults seem to think they posses, they knew the real reasons why I was thrilled to head to UGA in the fall.
Partying, alcohol, drugs, sex, and no adults breathing down your neck. Although my mind wasn't focused on or even thinking about those aspects of the "college life," I was being warned and even chastised for the things that I hadn't done and wasn't planning on doing. I was just a 17 year old teenager who was ready to see the world and the second a chance became available for me to go on my first independent adventure, my first adult adventure, I was being warned as if it was the wrong thing to do. Time and time again I heard the same things over and over: "that's a party school," "watch out for the boys," "don't drink too much alcohol," and "don't be irresponsible." These were the most frequent statements, warnings, and suggestions I heard. The funniest thing was, I had never stepped foot into a real "party" or drank more alcohol than the few sips (or very rare can) of beer/margarita that my parents allowed me. Honestly, I was the ultimate "goody two shoes." Yet, I was months away from even attending orientation, and my fate as a college student already seemed determined by these onlookers.
It's been almost a year and a half since I was accepted to the University of Georgia. In two weeks, I'll start my sophomore year of college. I currently hold a 3.5 GPA, I'm a year ahead of my peers, and I will be applying for journalism school this fall. All of the statements, warnings, and suggestions I heard, and continue to hear, I take note of. I respect the adults who told me those things because I know they're watching out for me, but I also know some were judging me. I won't lie and say in my time at college I haven't been to a party or seen students drink or been hit on. I have. Guess what? That doesn't make me irresponsible or a bad person. It doesn't make me a teenager or a college student. The experiences I've had in my past year of college don't make me anything but human. I'm a young adult whose going to college to make a future for myself, and I'm having fun (yes, it does still exist) while I do it. I work hard, and I'm definitely not irresponsible. My point is, parents, teachers, and adults need to stop pre-judging every college student they encounter. We're not all party animals who have an addiction to alcohol and drugs and hooking up. I'd say that crowd is a small small portion of the millions of college students in the United States. Most of us are just trying to make something of ourselves and our lives. When we talk about college or an acceptance to college even, whatever, instead of acting like we're about to commit a crime, ask us how our classes are going or listen to our hilarious stories. I know I have plenty of them.
College students do party and drink and have relations with the opposite sex. So do all other adults and many teenagers and basically the entire population of the Earth that is human and isn't under the age of 18. Just like you can't judge another person without walking in their shoes, you can't judge college students. We are other people. We're just working hard and enjoying ourselves, and I for one am a responsible adult who is having fun. Life has no purpose if you don't enjoy it.
