People seem to look at all the big party and college movies and think college is just a big Bacchanalia, where they'll eventually come out on the other side and everything works out...like the end of one of those movies.

They think it isn't that big of a deal, and some students think it is a waste of their time.

But that isn't the reality of the situation at all.

Obviously, some people are just not meant for college. There are plenty of careers that don't require a four-year (or higher) degree, and many people are content with that.

But if you plan on going into law or accounting, or even journalist work (like myself), many employers won't even bat an eye at you if you don't have the credentials they want

I'd like to give some context as to who is writing this. I started college in 2012, and I was like many students starting off; I had no idea why I was there.

I knew I wanted a writing career, but I didn't know what that meant. I wasn't an excellent high school student, and my uncaring attitude about education spilled over into college. I didn't take it seriously, and my grades started to plummet.

With no clear path and bad grades, I took a job with a close family friend and attended school extremely part-time. At the time, I didn't think much about it. I didn't think of how this was going to affect me or the opportunities I was missing out on.

And then, like many people not taking their education seriously, reality set in.

I was getting good pay and job security, but I knew I didn't want to do this for the rest of my life. Toward the end of the two years I worked for this company, all my joy was sucked out every day I was there.

In hindsight, it was because I knew I was wasting my time in something I didn't have my heart in. I had a long conversation with this family friend, and he told me, "Why don't you look into journalism?" and it was like a light bulb above my head, with a feeling of, "Why didn't I think of this in the first place?!?"

Shortly after this, the company folded, and I moved to another job...and back to school full time.

My heart was back in it. I love to learn, and I love the stress and the cramming for exams and writing all the time and pushing myself into unknown territory because that is how you learn and that is how you grow as a student and as a person.

I feel that so many people start off their careers in higher education like I did, by not caring and just barely making it by.

From someone who did exactly that for a long time, I implore you; don't do it.

College is not just about the education and the path you are setting for yourself afterward. It's also about all the great times you will have and how you build yourself as a person.

I'm a completely different person than I was when I started college.

It's an amazing feeling to learn something new, to look into a subject that doesn't necessarily spark your interest. To test yourself and think outside your bubble is a valuable life experience that will follow you for the rest of your life.

College, itself, is a fantastic life experience. My mother, a Oneonta alumni, graduated over 30 years ago and she always has stories of all the fun times she had there and the friends she has to this day because of it.

She also tells me about how her father died during her first semester and how that affected my family forever. But she always looks at that time in her life as a significant one because it's a time of experience and maturity for many.

That's what I want, and I hope that the people considering leaving or who aren't taking it seriously, reconsider their decisions and push through and enjoy the experience.