Expectation vs. Reality: College
When I think of college, I picture Ivy League schools, frat parties, sororities, huge lecture halls, intimidating professors, and students who are geniuses or fuckups — like a mashup of every college movie or TV show ever made in the 90s and early 2000s. That’s the version of college I grew up with, but I didn’t expect my own experience to look like that. I didn’t know what to expect. I just figured I’d love it, since school had always been my thing.
Thirteen years and three degrees later, I can honestly say I loved my college experience. But there were some things I didn’t expect to be as challenging as they were, and others that ended up being way more chill than I thought.
Deciding on a Major
I changed my major a few times in community college. I guess being young and excitable made me think I could be anything—like an architect (until I realized how much math was involved). I decided on the entertainment industry. I loved movies and thought I could be the next Scorsese or maybe a talent manager like Ari Gold in Entourage. In theory, those roles sounded glamorous and appealing, but in practice—the passion was not there for me. I loved movies, but not as my career. It wasn’t until after earning my Master’s in Communications that I realized I am a writer.
Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash
Professors
I love learning, so it was crucial for me to choose professors who I could trust to genuinely care and teach me well. I had the highest expectations for professors because not only do I love learning, but I’m also paying all this money to get a decent education. Unfortunately, there were a few professors that were only there for a paycheck and it showed. Luckily, there were resources like RateMyProfessors.com, which acted like a lighthouse, navigating me through the shit storm of bad professors to the good ones who made college worth it.
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Extracurriculars
I understood the value of extracurriculars. Clubs and internships promised experience and networking that could boost my career. In undergrad, though, my time was split between classes and nightclubs (the wrong kind of 'club'). In grad school, I had to choose between class, work, or club events—and honestly, passing class, paying rent, bills, and buying groceries came first. When I did attend club events, I got some useful info and connections, but I felt out of place. Internships were similar: unpaid, sometimes cool, but mostly just showed me what I didn’t want to do. I’ve accepted that college clubs/organizations weren’t my thing and that internships were just for the experience, but that’s not going to stop me from finding success in other ways—I just have to keep pushing forward.
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Finances
Student loan debt never stopped me from going to college. I knew the total amount of debt for my majors wouldn’t be egregious, even if I had to repay it all on my own. Thankfully, there are reasonable payment plans! And while I’m working a job that’s not in the field I majored in, I’m still grateful to be making payments on my loans somehow. I don’t have to be the stereotypical “struggling” writer—I earn an adequate paycheck, benefits, and a 401K while pursuing my writing career.
Photo by Andre Taissin on Unsplash
Burnout
Living in the most overworked country, I expected to experience some kind of burnout while in college. I thought I would suffer from lack of sleep, studying until 2 a.m., or struggle with finding time to rest between school, work, and life in general—none of that happened… at least for me. I knew how to rest from the grind, whether that was in the form of a lazy day doing nothing, taking a mini vacay with my husband, or going to a concert and dancing my ass off. I worked hard, but I played harder.
Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash
College isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience. I loved mine overall because the things I’ve learned, whether it was challenging or chill, contributed to my growth. My three degrees aren’t always used in a traditional sense, but the skills and knowledge I gained from earning them are applied in my professional and personal life everyday. A common story I always heard was someone earning a degree in one field and ending up finding their passion in another—and that’s okay! What’s not okay is earning a degree and working in a field you end up hating, but settle for because it “pays the bills” with no intention of working toward your passion—a common story, too! For me, I’d rather choose the former because life is too precious to not do what you love.
