In high school, and even in college, we are told so many things that are not okay or not normal in college. A lot of the time, it is things that adults are telling from experience and others are just what they were taught and they’re stuck in their ways. Times have changed and so has college. Yes, we are still seeking higher education but we are also seeking different education. There are more job opportunities and majors in college than there was back when our parents were going to school. There is so much that even people who went to college 10 years ago don’t get about how college is today.
1. It’s Okay to Transfer
As someone who has transferred twice since her freshman year, I’ve heard all there is to say about the negative effects of transferring. “You’ll set yourself back, you won’t know anyone at the new school, you can’t know what you really want to do if you’re switching schools.” All of these I’ve heard and none of them are true. If you keep yourself on track and check in regularly with your advisor, you’ll graduate in the same amount of time as you would if you stayed at your old school. The friends you made at the school you came from will most likely, if they are your real friends, will still be there for you even after you’re gone. Being at a new school and not being a freshman can be scary but you’ll still make friends. It might be a little harder since you are new to the program but just be yourself and you’ll still make friends. Transferring schools is the reason you know what you want to do with your life. You have the resources of asking and looking at different majors from different schools. Switching schools doesn’t mean you don’t know what you want to do.
2. Being An Art Major Isn’t Worthless
In high schools across the United States, counselors are pushing for people to go into S.T.E.M. majors and trying to divert the students who want to be some sort of art major into thinking about something else. I was personally told that going to be a dance major was pointless as I wouldn’t find anything in the real world. Most kids don’t know what they’re passionate about besides art when they start college, we don’t get to explore in high school. I didn’t even know what public relations was until college. You mature and grow so much in college that sometimes you need to have that art in your life to keep you sane and that’s something very important in college.
3. We All Have Mental Breakdowns
College is a stressful time and sometimes the stress gets to us. Those memes about how college kids cry in a library and then get back to doing their work is very real. We need those breakdowns to get through college. Letting emotions out is important, bottling them out can be very unhealthy. Don’t think that you are alone, we all have them. We all tip past the breaking point and need to have a breakdown so we can continue to follow our dreams and work our butts off to get that degree.
4. Being in College and Working isn’t Bad
College is expensive and so is life. Sometimes in order to pay for car insurance, doctors, going out with friends, and buying new clothes, we need to work a part time job. Some say that we should focus on our studies but we need money too. Is it stressful? Yes, but is it worth it? Yes! Just because you’re in college doesn’t mean you can’t also work part time.
5. You Don’t Have to Drink or Go To Parties
In movies and Tv shows, it’s often shown that college is all about partying and drinking. This tends to skew our idea of college life when we go but we need to understand that you don’t have to drink if you go to a party and you don’t even have to go to parties while in college. We always hear about peer pressure but in reality the pressure to drink comes from our minds to want to fit in or seem cool to our new friends. We need to create a stigma that you can have fun without drinking. Be a kid, act childish, being in college is our last chance to be kids before we get thrown into the world of being an adult.
There are things we are told or believe to be true about college but we need to learn that, there is so much you don’t know about college until you get there. College is about growing as a person and trying to find who you are. We might not ever fully know who we are but you learn so much in college, not just about academics or the field you’re going in to but about yourself. Enjoy college and don’t let others tell you how you should experience it. Everyone experiences college different, so make it yours.
This blog post was written by Maddie Cannon, General Body Member.
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