In one short week, I will turn in my last final of my undergrad career and college will be over. Graduating in December at UNH is disappointingly anti-climactic, with no ceremony offered for graduates. Yeah, you can come back in the spring to walk with spring graduates, but waiting six months after the fact essentially takes away all the excitement of finishing college. You’ve already received your diploma in the mail, you’ve moved on from college, and your name doesn’t get called, which makes it seem like a lot of effort for a very little reward. Of course, not everyone would agree with me, but I have to admit to being a little disappointed by the lack of recognition.
Now that my college career is coming to an end, I’ve been thinking a lot about the past four years, both the good and the bad parts. Before we start college, we hear that college will be the best four years of our lives. However, we hear the same thing about high school, and most people agree that this is not true, so why would it be true about college either? Hear me out. College is a ton of fun, full of new experiences, crazy parties, and meeting tons of new people, some who will become life-long friends. It can and is an amazing time, but it definitely shouldn’t be the highlight of your life. College is also full of insane amounts of stress, piles of papers, problems, exams and assignments which seem never ending. It’s full of weeks where you feel like you’re going to go crazy with how much you have to do, with days where you’re so hungover and sleep deprived you swear off partying forever. College is often less than glamorous. That being said, college should be and is a time of exceptional personal growth, which is maybe one of the best parts about it. I am certainly not graduating as the same person I was at 18 when I started school and I’m glad because that means it’s taught me a lot.
But why am I saying that college is maybe a little overrated? Well, remember those classes you took as a freshman or sophomore that were so dumb you complained the whole time about why they were required? Think about the lack of independence—you can live on your own but most of us are not able to be fully financially independent. Sure, that can be nice for awhile but eventually it becomes annoying. Or, what about the over-the-top party culture on most college campuses in the US? The one that forces most underage students to drink excessively to be part of the social scene, and ostracizes those who do not? Sure, it’s fun for a while, but after a few too many hangovers and blurry nights, the fun starts to fade. Finally, think about the financial cost of college. Most American young adults will be saddled with school loans to pay back for YEARS after they finish school, all for a bachelor’s degree which is increasingly not enough education for high paying jobs. Plus, most people do not use their college major, which begs the question, why does this system exist? Surely there is a better way to educate that eradicates these problems. To be clear, I am not saying that college shouldn’t exist. Higher education is important. I am merely saying that our system in this country is highly flawed.
College is a great time, and I am coming out of it with lifelong friends, new interests and countless hilarious memories. But I won’t miss it beyond the occasional bout of nostalgia. After college comes the real adventures: the ones where you can travel and move and meet new people, live in new places and experience life how you want to, with no pesky classes standing in your way. I can’t wait.