I love writing, video games, zombies, superheroes, Japanese culture, physics, food, movies, down-tempo electronic music, off-the-wall questions, tattoos and lots of other stuff.
I'm also no fun at parties.
We’re never really quite sure of something until we experience it for ourselves.
I feel like that’s a pretty fair statement, if not obvious; we’re all told many things throughout our daily lives, so can anyone honestly say that his or her opinion has always been based upon the retrospect of his or her peers? I would certainly hope not, considering that would make them a bit of a sheep, but for those of you with any sense of individuality, my first sentence holds true.
People tell us which movies to see, how the food at a restaurant tastes, and what our college experience will be like. In regards to the latter, I was often told by my older friends that my time at college would be dominated by copious amounts of alcohol, sexual debauchery, and a constant struggle with the inanimate menace that is ‘school work’…hardly something to look forward to, at least for an introvert like myself. On the other hand, however, I also sought the advice and predictions of my family as per their own college experiences. Most of my family didn’t go to school, though, and those that did attend didn’t have much to say about it, which essentially left me wondering if the accounts of my friends had any real amount of truth to them…all that I could do was find out for myself. Needless to say, I was pleasantly taken by surprise.
I just got done with my first semester of college, and there really wasn’t much that could have been done to make it better. In fact, the only thing I really found myself wanting to change was the actual location of the school; it’s in a pretty small, rural town in the South, and I’ve always wanted to try living in the city, as well as somewhere that has a colder climate. Other than that, though, it was awesome; my classes were interesting and engaging, as were my professors, and I really didn’t have any trouble managing the workload. On top of everything, though, I enjoyed the self-reliance…see, most kids would say ‘freedom’ or independence,’ but I feel as though self-reliance better defines my situation. I find it truly fulfilling to be in charge of my own life, both mistakes and accomplishments, because at least it was of my own doing. My being by myself is even usually motivation enough for me to take care of my responsibilities. I’m finally starting to feel like an individual, and most any other college student would probably tell you the same. The catch, though, is that I haven’t taken part in any of the aforementioned ‘activities,’ which were allegedly supposed to define my college experience, but I’ve still enjoyed it all the same.
For those of you who haven’t quite made it there yet, college is a cosmic, life-changing experience.
For those of you that are currently working their way through the system, or have already done so…you know exactly what I’m talking about.
College is whatever you make of it. Make it worth something.
-H
