3 Truths About College
College is expensive. It's an investment; some might say a risky investment. With the economy and job market the way it is today, college has no longer become an option. Before I entered college, I heard so many stories and lectures from adults on how college could make my life better, land me a better job, earn me more money, make my dreams come true, and I believed them. I was naive. They all told me about the benefits of college without really telling me the whole story. I had to figure that out on my own. I wanted to give the other half of the story that was left out. Mind you this is what I've come to realize through research and my own experience.
College does not guarantee you anything.
It doesn't guarantee you a job or a career. It doesn't guarantee that you'll learn something and become an educated individual. It doesn't guarantee you'll be rich or happy in the future. We live in a generation where we're use to instant gratification. We expect things will be handed to us or happen for us. We're cocky. If I go to school, I'll get a good job with a career. If I do this, I'll get this.
I used to think well I'm going to college, why wouldn't they want me. I've known people and heard of stories where they graduated college but never got a job or done anything. There are people who've graduated from the top universities, but they have huge amounts of debt and can't see where they're going in life. The cold-hard truth is life won't guarantee you anything and neither will college.
It's about growth and the experiences that come with it, not grades or a career.
I used to have a friend. He graduated high school when he was 17. He was extremely smart, but he was a pain in the butt to work with. If he didn't get an A, he became so disappointed and frustrated. He had to have things his way because only he was good enough or only then would we get a good grade. He graduated at 19 or 20 years old not really knowing what to do. He was socially awkward and barely had any friends. He was so focused on grades and school work that he missed the whole point of college.
Grades, school work, and planning your future are important, but they're just a small part of what college is about. College is an experience where you learn about life, society, the world, and most importantly yourself. You begin to figure out who you are and who you want to be. You experience failure and success. You gain skills that you need not only for work but in life. College is meant to mold you into an individual that can think and make decisions, live and care for others, and survive and change this world. And believe me, people want to know who you became and what you did, not what your grade point average was.
What you put into it, is what you get out of it.
I've heard both ends of the debate. There are people who haven't gone to college at all and have become extremely successful. There have been people who have gone to college and became extremely successful, and there are people who've gone to college and said it was a great experience and a not so great experience. I'm not here to tell you that you need or should go to college because it's the "right" thing to do. College is just another option, and what you do with your college education is what really matters. It's important to understand how to utilize your experiences in college to get you in the direction you want to go.
College is a foundation that you build for your future. Whether or not you learn something and become an educated individual, depends on you. Whether or not you get your dream job/career afterwards, depends on you. You have to do all the work that's necessary to make things happen for you. The work doesn't end when you graduate. Graduating is only half the battle.
I hope I didn't scare any one off. We tend to sugar-coat the truth when speaking to younger people because we don't want to crush their dreams. We want them to become motivated and hopeful, but the important thing to do is to treat them like people, give them all the facts, and teach them how to fight for their dreams. College can be an amazing experience, and if you work hard, it can help you.
With love,
Lovely
What you put into it, is what you get out of it.
I've heard both ends of the debate. There are people who haven't gone to college at all and have become extremely successful. There have been people who have gone to college and became extremely successful, and there are people who've gone to college and said it was a great experience and a not so great experience. I'm not here to tell you that you need or should go to college because it's the "right" thing to do. College is just another option, and what you do with your college education is what really matters. It's important to understand how to utilize your experiences in college to get you in the direction you want to go.
College is a foundation that you build for your future. Whether or not you learn something and become an educated individual, depends on you. Whether or not you get your dream job/career afterwards, depends on you. You have to do all the work that's necessary to make things happen for you. The work doesn't end when you graduate. Graduating is only half the battle.
I hope I didn't scare any one off. We tend to sugar-coat the truth when speaking to younger people because we don't want to crush their dreams. We want them to become motivated and hopeful, but the important thing to do is to treat them like people, give them all the facts, and teach them how to fight for their dreams. College can be an amazing experience, and if you work hard, it can help you.
With love,
Lovely
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