College is the Bridge to Adulthood by Julie

College is the Bridge to Adulthood by Julie - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

Everyone has a purpose in life. For some, they may have figured it out at a young age, while others can spend their whole lives trying to figure it out. Throughout a person’s life, they are influenced by many. They may even be unaware of some of those influencers.
We all start in the same direction: elementary school to middle school to high school. During these years, we try new things and get to explore and learn more about ourselves. You also learn about the people around you. When you go to class, how many people actually complete their homework? Who is the teacher’s pet? Is being a teacher’s pet a bad thing, or does it just mean that they want to do well?
Some students who may not have an idea about what they want to with their lives may doubt themselves and go to college. However, by attending college, you can experiment with different fields and have two years to declare a major, which is a bonus.
What you put into something is what you will get out of it. Motivation is the key to success. If a teacher or professor is passionate about their studies and knows how to engage with their students in a way to make learning enjoyable for everyone, the students will more likely be interested in obtaining success in that class. They will find the motivation to participate and try, even if it means they might fail once in a while.
College opens the door to many new opportunities. You get to meet thousands of new people and have the ability to find what interests you. You get to explore a wide range of career paths and discover what suits you and what doesn’t. College grants more freedom. It’s not just all work and no play, students get the opportunity to play sports or join clubs and sororities/fraternities and make lifelong friends. Students even have the chance at some schools to study abroad and learn about new cultures they would’ve never imagined of discovering.
College is all about getting to do what you want, it is the pathway to adulthood. You get to take on new responsibilities and learn and grow from any mistakes. No one is going to “baby” you in college, which is an essential lesson to learn since, in the real world, you have to take care of yourself to survive.
Everyone is different. Going to college allows you to continue to get an education at your own comfort. Some may choose to go out-of-state, to in-state, or even commuting. The best part about college is that there are no “right” or “wrong” choices. The only path you follow is the one you make yourself.
College also has no age restriction. Many people decide to go back to college and get a degree or try to get a degree in another field. It may seem difficult, but it is not a lost opportunity.
Even after attending college, there are still many benefits. With a degree, you are more likely to be considered for a job or internship. Depending on what type of degree you get and what career you go into, you could also make more money. It broadens connections between people and you could even get a higher position. With all the connections you make at college, it can help someday in the future and it also helps with the interaction of others in the real world.
College is not for everybody, which is acceptable too. However, it provides many benefits and opportunities that are challenging to find in other places. No one said you have to have your whole life figured out as soon as you graduate high school. Attending college allows teens to reinvent themselves and learn more outside the walls of common core mandated classes, and come out as clear-headed adults with a sense of direction in life, ready to take on the obstacles of the real world. It allows you to get involved and discover a world that you didn't know existed. Students can take their potential and find success wherever they go. By attending college, anything is possible as long as they put their minds to it.