Live. Love. College. by Allyson

Live. Love. College. by Allyson - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my years of growing up I was always told what you do with your life is on your shoulders and in your hands. I never really believed this statement up until my senior year of high school. High school has taught so many things don’t get me wrong, but the amount of support, freedom, and success you feel while on a college campus is something so much bigger than a school that requires you to be there eight hours a day.
When I first walked the sidewalks of Oklahoma State University I was unsure of how to feel. Do the college kids find it annoying that there’s a high schooler in their bubble? Do I stick out like a sore thumb? These were two of the many questions racing through my mind as I tried to walk down the sidewalk of this campus. This day was also the day I learned to look up, so many students greeted me with smiles and warm hello’s as they tried to make sure I knew where I was going or if there was anything they could do to give me a hand. This wasn’t like walking down the hall of a high school. I liked it. If you dropped something, someone helped you pick it up, if you’re sitting at a table crying about an exam that you studied so hard for but felt like you could do better, chances are someone else was sitting somewhere not far away crying over the same thing. In college it’s like social cliques don’t exist. I am not even attending OSU until the fall of 2017 however my phone contacts seem to already have more friends from my future college university than my from my high school.
With taking on the responsibility to attend college, you are also getting a whole nother feel for freedom. You aren’t sitting in a classroom for seven to eight hours of your day, with people you really can’t stand, (sorry to burst anyones bubble). You are basically on your own however your parents are there as a backboard if you need them. In the class situations, you are not jumped on and continually reminded of the work you owe. That is your responsibility. This is something you will thank college for because it will be useful in life.
In your years of being in a high school, so much pressure is put on you by teachers, family and the work given to you that you often feel like a failure or that your efforts are not high enough to meet what is expected of you… On a college campus that feeling seems to fade away, you are the one taking care of yourself, no one is there to look over your shoulder and set that feeling on your shoulders when you are trying your best. Chances are, if you feel like you are failing, someone else feels the exact same way. Professors and counselors live to see students succeed, however the student must want to succeed in their college career too.
Now I know you may be asking what in the world any of this has to do with what experience I will most thankful for. The truth is I will honestly be thankful for the friends, education, and experience I am given. From my family I will officially be the first generation college student and it is going to be so difficult, but I will make it happen. College is an experience every child should be given the opportunity to experience. Throughout my high school career, I can personally tell you I sat in my bed at night, wondering if I was even worth investing money in after I graduate, after attending my first official campus visit to Oklahoma State University, (the college of my dreams) they reassured me that investing in myself will be so worth it in the long run.
So as for college I am beyond excited. Opportunities high school couldn’t give me and my peers will be accessed, feelings about your self worth won’t be based off other people's opinions, and you are grown up enough to make your own decisions. College is meant to be serious but fun, so make it that way. Live, Laugh, and go to college before your time is up.