What College is Really All About

Debt. Homework. Classwork. Tests/quizzes. Internships. Fraternity/sorority events. Homecoming. Late-night eating. Work-study. Partying. These are many of the things that come to mind when people think about college and what it is all about. Although these are generic and most of it is what comes from college, it is not everything. There is a specific element that people tend to miss about the true value of college.

From my experience and from friends I speak to who attended a university or college, the true value of college comes from networking and finding oneself. The first year of college consists of finding out what ur major will be by taking a variety of classes. Although some students will go in knowing what they want to do for the rest of their lives and the field they want to go into, there are many who do not know.

Even after all the lectures, the knowledge obtained, the hours spent studying, and the time spent working to save up some money while paying an exorbitant amount to attend school, in the end, it is all about what one does with it all post-graduation. In my opinion, college is largely very reflective and allows someone to find out who they are, especially while living on campus and being surrounded by different people.

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All of this can spiral if someone goofs off or gets involved with the wrong kind of people. It truly is about the experience of living on one’s own and seeing what someone wants for their future. This is what many can miss about school. I have met some of my best friends while in college and ones that will stick around in the long run. A lot of memories were formed while attending on-campus events or at clubs or networking events or while outside having a good time. A lot of people can look back on all of the memories and cherish them for their whole life.

One of the biggest things professors and the like will bring up about the value of college is the ability to think critically and professionally. The college functions very similarly in the way society works with meeting deadlines and being able to listen and articulate thoughts about something. Although there are different majors, some of the same basic courses must be taken. The ability to think critically should not be something taken for granted.

There are other alternatives to college in the form of trade schools and other schools that provide value but college is the traditional route that gears towards stability and another path to making something of oneself.