What is College?

The dictionary defines college as the following: An institution of higher learning, especially on providing general or liberal arts education rather than technical or professional training. Yes, college is where you go to gain the education you need in the field you want. But college offers more than just an education. It offers opportunities. The first day you walk in, hundreds of opportunities are laid out in front of you. There's the opportunities in the class room, to push yourself to do your very best and leave with the career of your dreams. And there's the social opportunities. This is the first time you can reinvent yourself. Forget who you were in high school and become who you want to be. However, the most important thing that college offers you is the power of choice. With all the opportunities laid out in front of you, it is up to you to choose what ones you'll take. Do you go out to that party your stay in and study? Do you go out with a group people or stay in and watch a movie? The choice is up to you.

Hollywood portrays college as wild partying 24/7. In just about every college themed movie or TV show, I can not recall the characters doing any work, or even going to class. They sleep all day, party all night. It is the beginning of my freshman year at Southern Connecticut State University, and I went into my first day of class with Hollywood's portrayal stuck in my head. Of course I knew I would have to go to class, and do work, but I didn't think it would be that hard. I mean, I made it through high school with out studying, and doing homework five minutes before class started, why not college too? It was that same day that I realized Hollywood is wrong. For every hour in class, thats two hours work out of class, and that's if you want a B. There's a lot of work you need to put in to receive, just academically, what you want out of college. There are tons of social events around campus, just like any other college. Juggling school, field hockey, homework, and a social life is based on how well my time management skills are. This is what I think, going to college accomplishes. Obviously, I want good grades and will put the work in to get them, but I also want the Hollywood college experience. I want to go to parties, hang out with friends, make plans, and more. Time management skills are going to help me succeed in doing everything I want during my college years. Since good time management skills are essential to making it through college, I'm going to go head and assume that they are essential for the real world too. Its not how many classes you take or how smart you get during your time at college that guaranties you a good future, but the skills you take with you. In the next four years I have at SCSU, I intend to build my time management skills, and any other skills I find a long the way, in order to leave college with the education and experiences I'm paying for. 

Being in college is a breath of fresh air. I am finally my own person, I don't have to ask permission from anybody to do anything. I have control over everything I do academically, socially and personally. I'm only into my second week of classes, but I'm loving it. Nothing is really what I expected. I pictured the classes in big lectures halls, but most of mine are small groups. My professors are not cold hearted creatures that don't care about your education. They didn't assign ten page essays the first day of class that are do the next day or stand in front of the class and read of a piece of paper, putting us all to sleep. For the first time, I am treated as an adult. Everything I need to succeed is right in front, I just have to take the first step. For the first time its up to me. Nobody is going to take me by the hand and lead the way. For the first time I get to make my own path. Its scary, but at the same time, so liberating. I am excited to take my first step into adulthood as Southern Connecticut Owl.