I’ve only been in college for nearly two years now and I completely understand what people meant when they said, “College isn’t for everybody” because it’s not.
Just because college isn’t for you doesn’t mean you are worth any less than a person who graduated from college.
Just because you graduated from college doesn’t mean you are better than a person who only carries a high school diploma.
College may be similar to high school in the traditional aspects of education, but it varies in ways that challenges you mentally.
Not only are you given more independence and spare time throughout your week, but you’re also given what feels like a thousand different options, opportunities, and chances that could either make you or break you.
Unfortunately, we don’t have psychic powers or crystal balls to tell us that we should take this route and make a right at the light and then head straight for a few miles and turn left once we reach a certain point.
Instead, we have to trust our instincts, follow our hearts, and hope that we’re not only making the right decision but the best decision. And if it wasn’t the best decision, you’ll find out sooner or later, trust me.
This isn’t a bad thing. It’s just a bit terrifying. College is sort of like the “land of freedom and opportunity” because there’s so much you can do outside of academics. And at times you want to do it all, but then people advise you to slow down and do it in “moderation.”
Well, personally I’ve never been one to slow down. When I know what I want, I dive in headfirst even when I’m not 100 percent sure of what I’m diving into.
Coming into college I already knew I wanted to be journalism major. So, I applied to be a writer for Central Michigan Life (CM-Life) the very first day of school. Shortly after, I decided to join the Grand Central Magazine even when advised I should just focus on writing for the paper.
Jumping into those organizations, specifically CM-Life consumed a lot of my spare time. However, I knew what I was in for and I was too excited to want to stop.
My schedule was basically filled with me going to class and using the extra time out of my day to either study or work on an article for the newspaper or magazine. When I wasn’t doing any of that, I was trying to find other organizations that peaked my interest that I wanted to consider joining.
After joining them, I stayed in a few of them for one semester. I dropped out a few of them the same week I decided to join. This was one of those “land of freedom and opportunity” moments where I wanted to try a little bit of everything without knowing if it was the smartest thing to do at the time.
As a sophomore in college, I still find myself trying to figure out what other registered student organizations (RSO) do I want to get involve in or what other events do I want to participate in before I graduate?
Time feels so much more valuable and goes by so much faster in college. It’s strange because time management is the biggest and most difficult challenge students face while in college and no matter how hard we try or how much planning and organizing we do, there is no solution to knowing how to master your time perfectly.
Something will always happen or catch you off guard or push you two steps behind. That’s just the way college works!
Plus, if you’re involved in over seven RSO’s, you only have a limited amount of time you can devote to class, studying, and maintaining your social life.
Knowing your priorities, having the right attitude, and being able to persevere through multiple obstacles thrown your way at the same time are just a few of the important factors that I realized have come in handy when college is stressing me out.
College is far from easy and requires a lot of effort in a short amount of time, but it truly is an incredible experience. I’ve definitely been enjoying my time at Central Michigan University so far.
I’m hopeful that by the time I graduate, I’ll not only leave with a degree in journalism, but a better sense of who I am and what I’m capable of.
College offers you more than an education, but it helps you create goals and develop a strategy on how to achieve them while breaking your limits, redefining your character, and learning more about yourself semester after semester.
For those lucky enough to get accepted and go to college, stick with it if you know that it’s right for you. It gets hectic and will definitely challenge you and transform you into a night owl, but I definitely believe it’s worth it.
As Told by the Girl Next Door 
I totally get wanting to do everything at once. There’s something powerful about college that motivates you to achieve your dreams!
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