It is okay for college to not be the best years of your life
Live life the way that you want to!
Photo courtesy of Faith Zatlukal
How often do you hear, in conversations about the college experience, “These are the best years of your life”? Well, I heavily disagree with this statement and I am here to tell you that it is okay if these are not the best years of your life.
There is an overwhelming abundance of societal pressure pushing everyone to believe that college should be the best years of your life; if it is not, you're doing it wrong. I have always hated hearing this statement and personally, I will never agree with it. While for some, college could be the best years of your life, this is not the case for everyone.
I abhor college—everything about it. As someone who is very family-oriented, being away from my family is one of the worst feelings. Every time I miss out on a family event or birthday, it adds to the disappointment and loneliness of college. As much as I love and appreciate my friends, the void can only be filled by my family's presence.
Furthermore, there is so much pressure to constantly succeed and also, at the same time, have fun. As someone who is a perfectionist and a people pleaser, it took me a while to realize that I can handle my future my own way.
What makes this situation even more frustrating is that whenever I speak up and state that I dislike college life and I am excited to graduate, I am met with judgement. Why is it so offensive not to enjoy an experience that others do? It feels as though once I mention that I want to graduate and do not really enjoy the atmosphere of campus life, I am immediately asked so many follow-up questions interrogating me on why I am “rushing life.”
I always counter this by saying that while I am not “rushing life,” I am motivated to enter the next stage of my life—adulthood. I believe that it is important to remember that we all have different personalities and goals in life; why judge someone for choosing to live their life differently than you would?
It is also important to note that just because I want to graduate as soon as possible does not mean that I do not experience college and take part in what it has to offer. Being a part of different campus clubs and attending campus events is a major reason why I enjoy college more than I once did, but these experiences have not deterred me from my desire to graduate.
Many people go to college and are overcome with this new sense of independence and freedom—I am not one of those people. Perhaps this is why I do not enjoy college as much as the next person, but I grew up being independent and self-sufficient. All of this is to reiterate the point that we are all different people and need to stop pushing our experiences and expectations onto others!
Now, I want to make this clear that this does not apply to everyone. For some, college is the best years of their lives, and that is great! We are all individuals who will not fit the same mold and it is time society stops placing generalizations on everyone to live the same life.