Exploring Perspective in College by Michelle

Exploring Perspective in College by Michelle - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

Perspective is one of the driving forces behind my desire to attend college.
Frequently people fall victim to egocentric thinking, an inability to understand or assume any perspective other than their own. Being that one is constantly in the center of one's own world, it is difficult to be set free of this phenomenon, but college is one of the many routes to breaking free from this vicious cycle.
Growing up, our perspective is most heavily influenced by that which we find in our environment. Our initial perspective is not even wholly our own as many of the values and ideas we hold as children are introduced by our parents. As we grow independent, we build our most foundational views based on what we see happening in our community and among our loved ones.
It is easy to argue that our perspective is not limited due to the vast amounts of information that we can access on the internet but one must consider the circumstances under which we intake the information.
Does our perspective really change so easily by something we read or saw online as opposed to something we have experienced with our own eyes and ears?
For this reason, college opens the doors to perspective. Attending college, you meet a myriad people. All who hail from numerous backgrounds, are instilled different values and beliefs and have come to cultivate diverse skill sets. It is important to make lasting connections with these people because they have the potential to drastically change your life.
It does not even take years to see the effects of creating these new relationships. As you progress through your first four years of college you will see that the people you make connections with will present new opportunities before you. Whether it be something as small as finding a study partner for that difficult midterm coming up or the recommendation needed to land that dream internship. As a result, these opportunities are likely to influence your perspective on the world and the life that you want to create.
However, my perspective will not only be influenced by the people I meet there but by the knowledge I am exposed to. College is a place to explore differing views that would normally be difficult to learn about. It is a place where discussion and respectful argumentation are encouraged. This fearless exploration of ideas is something that cannot be pursued everywhere and as such we must take advantage of it. Ultimately, it is the ability to broaden my perspective that propels my determination to go to college.