Sometimes I think I knew more when I was a freshman than I do now. When I was a freshman I knew I was going to write the next great American novel and I was going to be the voice of my generation. Four years later the only thing I know for sure is that life is harder than I thought.
For as long as I can remember I was taught that I had to go to college to get a good job and make good money. I took this to also mean that if I went to college I would get a good job and make good money. Four years later I realize going to college doesn’t guarantee anything.
I freaked out when I graduated high school. As a senior in high school I thought I was "the man," but when I got to college I started to realize I was just a little fish in a big pond. Now that I’m a senior once again, I have no delusions that I’m something special. I’m finally beginning to comprehend the size of the pond I’ve been thrown into, only to realize I’m about to be thrown into an ocean after I graduate.
It seems the only thing college has done for me is shatter my dreams and crush my self-esteem. I’ve taken out thousands of dollars worth of loans to learn the world is a big, unforgiving place.
It seems like I got ripped off, but perhaps the things college did to me were exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. I was going to get knocked down a few pegs after high school whether I had gone to college or not. College has given me time to figure things out before I find my place in the world.
The next four years are by no means the best of your life, but they will be unlike anything else. Eventually, it will all come together for you, I promise.
