What Is College
It's the Tuesday of Finals Week here at Georgia Tech, and I am experiencing the silent floors of the library for the first time ever. It was daunting at first, and the silence was more overwhelming than I would have expected. Much like my first year in college. When I think about it, I really had no idea what to expect when I moved into my dorm last fall. No one had ever really said anything or told me what it would be like. The only things that exposed me to college life were books and movies. And the only thing I knew was that those would be completely inaccurate (or at least extremely exaggerated) portrayals.
I don't think anything can really prepare you for what your first year of college is like. Even after experiencing it, I'm not sure I could properly describe it. It's fast. It's intense. Everything just feels stronger here. The relationships are stronger because you spend so much more time with people. The academics are harder because sometimes you just don't know where to start. The pressure is immense because you're surrounded by so many high-achieving and intelligent people as you slowly approach that daunting "graduation date" when your metamorphosis is complete and you're not allowed to be a kid or make mistakes any more. It's scary.
But all of that is okay. The terrifying future and classes, the failures, the people, are all apart of what makes college so value. You aren't just here to learn how to prove mathematical arguments, how to program a robot, how to write a policy analysis. You're here to learn how to deal. And how to make something out of nothing. Think about it, you start your semester with zero knowledge in any of your classes. And somehow by the end of it, you have transformed that lack of knowledge into something else. I can't even count the number of students I have met over the year who have created businesses or pioneered products. I know academic knowledge and interest played a role in that, but to be successful they had to be charismatic, passionate, and innovative. Those aren't things you learn in a classroom. They can't be taught at all, I think they're more like happy accidents.
But the way you find them is through exploring and experiencing everything you can. I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they come to college is thinking that they have it all figured out--thinking that they have to be a certain major to get a certain job, and being completely stubborn in following their "plan." I'll be honest, I came in with a plan--a three spreadsheet long plan, actually. But since August, that Excel file has almost tripled in size as more doors open and more options become possibilities. I think that if you know exactly what you are passionate about and excited to do for the rest of your life, you are extremely lucky. But the rest of us should jump at every opportunity to discover just what that "calling" might be. Last semester I thought my calling was industrial engineering and operations, last week it was mosquitos. I have no clue what it'll be tomorrow or next year, but I'm hoping the experiences I have in that time will help me find it.
At the end of the day, I am extremely grateful for the past year and how absolutely thrilling, crazy, terrifying, and emotional it may have been. Most importantly, I'm lucky to be where I am because this school has made all the difference. Stay tuned for why Georgia Tech is awesome in a post later this week (because unbelievably enough I will still feel that way even after my finals!)
I don't think anything can really prepare you for what your first year of college is like. Even after experiencing it, I'm not sure I could properly describe it. It's fast. It's intense. Everything just feels stronger here. The relationships are stronger because you spend so much more time with people. The academics are harder because sometimes you just don't know where to start. The pressure is immense because you're surrounded by so many high-achieving and intelligent people as you slowly approach that daunting "graduation date" when your metamorphosis is complete and you're not allowed to be a kid or make mistakes any more. It's scary.
But all of that is okay. The terrifying future and classes, the failures, the people, are all apart of what makes college so value. You aren't just here to learn how to prove mathematical arguments, how to program a robot, how to write a policy analysis. You're here to learn how to deal. And how to make something out of nothing. Think about it, you start your semester with zero knowledge in any of your classes. And somehow by the end of it, you have transformed that lack of knowledge into something else. I can't even count the number of students I have met over the year who have created businesses or pioneered products. I know academic knowledge and interest played a role in that, but to be successful they had to be charismatic, passionate, and innovative. Those aren't things you learn in a classroom. They can't be taught at all, I think they're more like happy accidents.
But the way you find them is through exploring and experiencing everything you can. I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they come to college is thinking that they have it all figured out--thinking that they have to be a certain major to get a certain job, and being completely stubborn in following their "plan." I'll be honest, I came in with a plan--a three spreadsheet long plan, actually. But since August, that Excel file has almost tripled in size as more doors open and more options become possibilities. I think that if you know exactly what you are passionate about and excited to do for the rest of your life, you are extremely lucky. But the rest of us should jump at every opportunity to discover just what that "calling" might be. Last semester I thought my calling was industrial engineering and operations, last week it was mosquitos. I have no clue what it'll be tomorrow or next year, but I'm hoping the experiences I have in that time will help me find it.
At the end of the day, I am extremely grateful for the past year and how absolutely thrilling, crazy, terrifying, and emotional it may have been. Most importantly, I'm lucky to be where I am because this school has made all the difference. Stay tuned for why Georgia Tech is awesome in a post later this week (because unbelievably enough I will still feel that way even after my finals!)
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