Thoughts on College

College is weird, albeit in a wonderfully strange and sometimes inadequate way. It is a place for anyone and everyone to come together and learn so that, presumably, we are all prepared for 'the real world,' with a gargantuan debt as moral support. Having just graduated college at the end of April, I cannot help but to feel nostalgic about my roller coaster of an experience. The photos below are not professionally shot because they were randomly taken from my phone over the course of four years and are thus an accurate representation of my experiences. Whether it is enjoying a beautiful sunset, an unwarranted but ultimately welcome snow day, a summer baseball game, a long afternoon in the library catching up on school work, being amused by the headlines, or a quick and stereotypical caffeine fix, college has been a melting pot of new experiences.

For some background information, I now have two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). I'm not going to go into my future plans (although I might eventually) because the purpose of this post is looking backwards rather than forward. I found the first two years to be the hardest of my life thus far, but, in the words of the illustrious Kelly Clarkson, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and I'm definitely more thick-skinned because of my trials and tribulations (alright, so maybe that's a bit dramatic). But hey, you've got to admit, despite all of its shortcomings, college does force you to grow up because mom's not there to cook your meals or do your laundry: you are essentially left in a strange and alien planet to fight your own battles (the financial aid office anyone?).

As you may have noticed, my degrees, or majors while I was still in school, are a strange mixture, this is because I came in as a Pre-Dental student, hence the Biology. However, I soon found my coursework and (cue the cheesy music) purpose in life to be unfulfilling. As a result, I chose to take some courses in the one subject that has always had my heart: Literature. I've always been a bibliomaniac and have a personal library that numbers roughly 570 books and counting, all of which have been read. Taking classes that actually interested me taught me more useful skills than any lecture on the Circulatory System. That being said, I kept up with my Biology because it was 'practical' and I am proud that I stuck with something that challenged me as a student. The lesson from this is to play your cards right, choose a major that will pay the bills but don't toss your dreams over a cliff. Compromise: I was able to have one practical degree and one not-so-practical degree (although I'm now learning that that is seriously up for debate). This is not an option for everyone, but I do encourage those thinking about, going to, or already in college, to take advantage of the experience and ensure that not a second of your precious time and money is wasted. Take classes that interest you, meet new people, try (preferably legal) new things, join a club, procrastinate and, most of all, enjoy the (terrifyingly) bumpy ride.