3 Things College Is Teaching Me in Real Time
When I hear the phrase college is a scam, I interpret it as a critique of rising tuition costs, burdensome student debt, and the uncertainty of post-graduate career prospects. However, this reduces college to a financial transaction and overlooks its broader educational and developmental value. The academic component, while important, is only one facet of the college experience.
College is fundamentally a period of self-discovery and intellectual growth. It is where students not only learn formative content, but also how to think critically, engage with diverse perspectives, and navigate complex problems independently. College is more than a pathway to employment; it’s a transformative environment that nudges individuals to clarify their values, foster their ambitions, and cultivate healthy habits necessary for adulthood. In its purest form, college serves as a rehearsal for the life one intends to build and a free ticket to experiment and reflect before fully stepping into long-term professional and personal commitments.
With that in mind, I would like to share five lessons college is teaching me in real time and reflect on how I have already begun to recognize their impact on my growth and perspective.
The Importance of Professional Vulnerability
One of the most important components in college, regardless of major, is learning to step outside of one’s comfort zone. Growth lies in your ability to become comfortable with healthy discomfort. In many cases, when individuals feel like they aren’t gaining meaningful experience or perspective, it is not because opportunities are absent, but because they have not allowed themselves the space to struggle, learn, and grow through new challenges. This does not mean that someone is inherently bad at learning a new concept. Rather, college is an environment where vulnerability meets opportunity, creating space for improvement and self-discovery.
Learning this lesson has been especially meaningful in my experience. I am naturally eager to learn and usually approach new situations with an open mind and positive attitude. Having said that, there are moments when I feel stagnant or as though I have not reached a goal I set for myself. During those moments, I take a step back and evaluate whether I have truly engaged with new opportunities, whether that means networking, meeting new people, or simply speaking to my professors.
It’s also important to acknowledge that I am, at my core, an introvert, and I am aware that stepping into unfamiliar spaces and opportunities can feel intimidating and requires a great deal of humility. Through this, I have learned that growth does not require abandoning who you are; instead, it involves remaining authentic, while still challenging yourself to expand beyond your comfort zone. One of the most important things college has taught me is that meaningful progress comes from embracing vulnerability while standing firm in your values and sense of self. Overcoming that threshold is often what sets you apart from who you are today and the role model you aspire to be.
Experiences Are the Only True Currency
College is, without a doubt, fundamentally about pursuing an education and maintaining an academic standard that meets one’s goals. I also recognize that students attend university for many different reasons. For some, it’s following in their family’s footsteps or being the first in their family to earn a degree. For others, it represents an opportunity to gain a greater sense of independence and autonomy. However, the college experience extends beyond academics alone. It is also shaped by the spontaneous moments and relationships that develop along the way, memories that provide a deeper lasting sense of fulfilment than any material possession. As individuals, we cannot go through life alone; we are built for connection and thrive better when we are in fellowship with one another. So far in college, I have realised that during the times when I have attended an event, or simply gone to the dining hall when I did not feel completely up for it, I’ve always left those atmospheres, gaining more knowledge and memories than I had ever anticipated.
Finding Fulfillment is the Path, Rather Than the Destination
Navigating college, balancing personal and academic responsibilities, and adapting to the complexities of young adulthood is a complex journey that can only be fully understood by those living through it. By maneuvering through these chapters as a Black woman who attends a PWI, I have learned that comparison is the thief of joy, and as you compare your success, status, and life to others, you begin to rob yourself of the token that comes with trusting the path and having faith in the course. It can be a challenge not to overanalyze your life, especially in the world of mass media that we live in now, and it’s becoming more challenging to drown out the noise that declares what we should and shouldn’t be doing. But I have realized that the moment you convince yourself that you are behind, that it’s too late to start again, or that you are on the wrong track, you have already lost the battle of self vs. self. Through your comparison, and once you have reached your destination, you’ll realise that you won’t feel fulfilled, because you did not appreciate the strength, faith, and determination it took for you to get there. So, if college has taught me anything, it is the importance of discovering and cultivating who you are while growing into who you aspire to become, making necessary time for the moments that matter most, and learning to appreciate the journey so that the fruits of your labor can feel even more meaningful.
