Why did I CHOOSE to go to college?
After high school graduation, students are commonly considered as official, educated, and independent people.
You can manage your own life now. Your future is up to you. You’re on your own now.
These things are sayings I have been told by family members and my own conscience. It is not to be taken in a condescending way; it is simply a wake-up call to take responsibility and carry out a suitable future. After my high school graduation, I had planned to go straight to college that same year in the fall instead of taking a gap year. (Nowadays, gap years are more common and acceptable.) Others will find their soulmates early and marry and start a family (I have a couple of friends who went on that track). Either way, it is quite visible that people go different directions.
I CHOOSE college because I know a higher education will allow me to pursue careers that I choose to do. Higher education is one of the main gateways for opportunities and potential. Even with a bachelor’s degree, you are most likely better off hiring than someone who has had less education than you because of qualifications. College classes are designed for you to build better knowledge in areas of your interest [of your major] and give you better skills on writing, communicating, studying, and critical thinking.
In addition, I was brought up in my family to take education seriously and prioritize education above everything else. As a first American-born child from a refugee family, I realized that my family came to America and started from the bottom and worked their way up through hard (HARD) work and effort. I want to continue with the foundation my family built for me and work my way up the ladder of success. I chose college over gap years or meeting someone and starting a family because I knew that if I stopped education for a bit, it would be harder to get back into the academic mindset.
College is not scary, not unless you make it scary in your head. Don’t be intimidated on what you see about college life in movies and TV shows. I can assure you, Loyola is nothing like that. Best advice I can give (and have always given) is to take a tour of Loyola and see the campus and students for yourself. You can make your own impressions on college afterwards and see if you are ready to take the next step of your life.
Altogether, keep your head up! Here’s a good quote I try to live by:
