May 15, 2013

College, an experience that goes beyond the classroom

May. 15, 2013 at 08:00 AM | By Laura Kyle, graduating college senior | Comment Count

From deciding where to apply to taking those first steps onto campus to receiving a degree, join Hobsons as we follow students, counselors, and their families on the path from college choice to completion. See more in the series.

I’ve always been told my years at college would be the best years of my life, but I was never fully prepared for them to go by so fast. Here I am a senior, preparing to graduate from college, and one looming question remains, “What will I have to show for my journey besides a college degree?”

This preoccupation over what we do in our daily lives is unnerving at best and yields anxiety for the next population of college seniors preparing to enter the real world. Regardless, it has forced me to reflect upon my time at college, a time that can only be described as the most complicated four years of my life.

How so? I have taken numerous classes that have all required me to think critically, write eloquently, and communicate effectively. I took a personal finance course, for instance, where lessons included topics such as “how to buy a car” or “how to lease an apartment.” I have participated in a choir where I learned dedication, collaboration, and support are key to functioning and performing well. I have trekked the globe, gaining a new understanding and respect for people coming from different backgrounds. I have had an on-campus job that has given me the opportunity to help other students enrich their own academic experiences.

These are all skills I have developed and enhanced because of my college journey. More importantly, they are experiences that have taught me not simply what I am capable of, but who I am and who I want to be. It’s nearly impossible to put into words the challenges and transformations that are undertaken during our time in college. Whatever college one chooses becomes home for four years and those years are compiled of successes, failures, happiness, sadness, and essentially an entire spectrum of emotions.

While I don’t know at this point in time what job I’ll have after graduation, I think what I have learned in college has a great deal more to do with who I am as a person than what I will do with my life. College is an experience that goes beyond the classroom and I can honestly say that I have grown and changed more in my four years at college than at any point in my life thus far. Between the people I have met, classes I have taken, and independence I have found, college has been the driving force that has navigated who I am.

So here I am left to wonder, am I prepared for the real world? In some ways I am and in others, not at all. All I know is this: I am leaving college a stronger student with a clearer sense of who I am. My advice to others? Go with it and take absolutely nothing for granted.