When I was in high school, I was told numerous times that going to college was a good decision to make in life. And just like everybody else, I fell for it. I remember being told that getting a high school diploma can get you any job you want. While that statement is true to an extent, I really wanted to go to college to be more educated. I wanted to be smarter, but instead of being educated in academics, I became educated in life.

I remember a time when I thought being smart was everything. But I soon came to realize that learning isn't only beneficial in the academic setting; rather, it impacts how you see life as a whole. From my experience so far in college, I've gained much wisdom. Mostly, I've learned that you have to outgrow people in order to grow as a person.

For example, I had a very close friend back in high school. We would do all kinds of things together, like go to the movies, play video games, and shoot hoops just to bypass the time. But as we got older, we both began to change. My friend got mixed up in a bad crowd, and he started to hang out with people who didn't have goals in life. I first noticed the change when I asked him about the latest episode of "Cowboy Bebop" -- because he was the one that got me into anime. He called me a loser for watching such "childish things." I realized that he was not the same person I grew up with. Long story short, we pretty much outgrew each other -- well, I out grew him. I still get messages from him, asking how I've been; but I no longer answer them, because I believe that it would just be a waste of time.

Another I learn in college of level of confidence. While I was attending CSN, I had this teacher who was a very tough grader. I will never forget what he said about our test: “Once you finish and leave the room, you are not allowed back in.” The first time heard that I didn’t quite understand, until I took his first exam. I remember that I studied hard for his exam, because I wanted so badly to pass the class. After I was finished, I turned it in and left. It wasn’t until I got to my car that one of the answers might be wrong. I knew I couldn’t go back in to change the answer. So I just hoped and prayed that it was true. I came to the next class to find out I got it wrong. I asked, "What if a student second guesses his answer after they have long left the class room?"

He simply explained, “When you are out there in the real world, there are times when you will not get a second chance. That’s what I want you to learn from my class. Build up the confidence that you need, that you won’t have to second guess yourself [on important decisions like the test you just took]."

Those words follow me to this day. Now when I take a test, whether I studied or not, I go into the room with a full confidence knowing I can do well on the test. This has definitely helped me out in the real world, such as when I have an interview. I answer the questions with the best of my ability, never backtracking. Having a great confidence boost can help you in the long haul in life.

Finally the most important lesson that college has taught me is: be yourself! For the longest time, I pretended to be one person in public and somebody else in private. I usually don’t show my true self to people unless I feel 100 percent comfortable that they won’t judge me for who I am. One of these interests that I've always cared about the most is writing fictional stories for my friends.

For instance, I based one of my characters, Tiffany, on one one my close friends. Every time my friend had a bad day, she would think that her whole world is coming down. So when I created Tiffany, I told her how Tiffany was having a a terrible day too. Tiffany would be so upset that she would give up on everything that she wanted to do, just like my friend. But one day, Tiffany would learn to overcome all these challenges, knowing that success is worth the hardships. While some people may see the idea of Tiffany as corny, my middle school mind created her in order to help my friend get through a hard time. And it worked.

The moral of the story is that while I didn’t go to college to get educated academically, I gained wisdom and great friends along the way. Life isn't easy, but we as people don’t have to make it hard for ourselves. Sometimes we all need help, heck even the great leaders of history even got help from someone. And even though I didn’t learn anything while being in college, I did gain a lot from it.