Transitioning Into College: A Short Story

At six o’clock in the evening on June 10, 2016, I sat in a gray metal fold-up chair amongst Shelton High School’s class of 2016 eagerly waiting for the turning of the tassels which symbolically represented my official completion of high school. As the sun was setting and the sky was filled with shades of pink, blue, and orange, I turned my tassels and threw my white cap in the air as our class president excitedly chanted, with his raspy voice, “We did it!” I then took a few photos with my family and best friends, said some farewells to my acquaintances, and took a final gaze of the school that I made a countless amount of memories in. As I stood there and stared at the red brick building that seemed so large and scary to me just four years …show more content…
While these realizations may have been scary for some, I knew what I was getting myself into when transitioning into college, and therefore my emotions consisted of excitement rather than fear. On September 2, 2016, I arose at the early hour of 6 am with ease, and was ecstatic to finally break out of my quaint house in the lonely town of Shelton. The journey up to Amherst was somewhat what I expected-- my concerned aunt gave me the generic lecture regarding safety, my father was already planning for my next visit home, and my sister, who I never really got along with, abruptly hugged me for the first time in years. The departure of my family back to Connecticut marked the beginning of the next chapter, for I was on my own and ready to begin what most people claim to be the most essential four years of my …show more content…
Through spending a semester in Van Meter residence hall, I have come to recognize that college is undoubtedly not at all like the stereotypes that are portrayed in books and movies. In addition, from my experiences of completing college coursework and learning more information online for free than in my 150 dollar textbooks, I have also come to the realization that I might not be getting my money’s worth out of the 25,000 dollars that I spend to attend this institution each year. I can learn everything that I learn in my classes and textbooks online or at a public library for practically little to no cost. It is disheartening to know that attending college is no longer about learning, but about certification. Essentially, I am here for a piece of paper that is my diploma. On an ever more unfortunate note, this very here essay is more pieces of paper than what I will spend 100,000 dollars to receive. While I do not know what my future holds, I do know that I will be doing some intense pondering over winter