Why I Chose College

In one of my earliest memories, a very young me is curled up next to a tiny, plastic bookshelf with an elementary paperback between my hands. Sitting in a room with the door locked from the outside, this was not the first time I had been grounded. However, it was the first time I had found enough peace within myself to settle in one place rather than wage war against the very walls that contained me, and the reason for this was clear: learning has always served as a grounding force for me. Ever since I first spoke the word “college”, my mouth has been abuzz with the remnants of its echoes. In elementary school, I wore my straight A’s like gold stars while I daydreamed about a school I could live in. My love for schooling got me teased relentlessly in middle school, and at this point college became an escape. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I realized that education was less about me and more about the rest of the world. By going to college I wasn’t guaranteed a happier life than those going directly into the workforce, but I would be armed with knowledge that could allow me to contribute to the advancement …show more content…
In the years that a person spends as a college student, they are flooded with opportunities that, if taken, could set them up to make a difference in a world that so desperately needs it. A student could go to class, pass the exam, and then never touch the course material again or they could eliminate the barrier between themselves and what they are learning. They could immerse themselves in the wisdom of those who are equally passionate, if not more so, and let it consume them. I don’t want to be the student that is only there for their degree, and quite frankly, I don’t think I could be. When it comes time for me to graduate, I will leave not only with my degree but also with the passion to initiate a change and the competence to follow