Going to college, you may or may not have it all together. I, myself, did not. I was frazzled, confused, and nervous for the whole first semester but that is okay because I eventually got it all figured out. Well, kind of. My roommate always talked about politics and I was always lost in the conversation until I got tired of not knowing. As in any situation, there are pros and cons.
You have an open mind.
You are in a new atmosphere, and everything is basically new. It is kind of like making a new life for yourself. New place to live, new friends, and new interests. With everything being different, people tend to keep an open mind and decide to do things out of their comfort zone. For me, it was learning about politics and here I am, writing this article. You can venture and learn every side of the political parties without judgment for a little while because you just don’t know anything about it.
Your political opinions are your own.
Becoming your own person is a great and difficult thing to do. Growing up in the same town your whole life you typically hear the same thing over and over. You hear it at school from your teachers, you can hear it at church, and ALWAYS around family. Trying to break away from those or even deciding to ignore them could be hard, but you can do it because I have. Of course, you can hear all their opinions and make them your own...or you can be smart and find what you really believe in!
Friends, friends, and more friends.
We all have friends and we may have different kinds of friends. Like the gossip friend, the drama queen, the study partner friend, and the list goes on. When finally realizing which party you want to be a part of, there are more than likely campus clubs to join! Fun, right!? It is actually pretty cool to be apart of clubs. When I finally joined Young Democrats at my college I felt like I found somewhere I fit in. I made friends that I have common interests with and can have political conversations with. It is nice to know and be around people who share some of the same views and values as you.
Judgment-free zone.
Some campuses are really big and some are moderately small but I can guarantee that you will not find two people exactly alike. College has a wide variety of people and that is the beauty of college campuses. Everyone is different, so it is okay for you to be different. Sure, you may not agree with the guy sitting across from you in class but you get that he has different opinions and respect that.
Whether you were political before you started college or after, college is a safe, free zone to start over and try new things! Step out of your comfort zone and see what and who you stand with. Whether you decide you are Democrat or Republican just make sure that it is your OWN decision!
