HIGH SCHOOL VS COLLEGE

Now that freshman year is over, I can finally reflect on it thoroughly and have drawn some comparisons between high school and college. While I have enjoyed freshman year, learnt a lot and have definitely grown as a person, I miss high school. Life was definitely simpler and somehow everything I was working for and towards had a purpose that was more definitive.

In high school, everyone was striving towards a common goal: college. However, in college, with the vast variety of concentrations and options of grad school, an internship, job or staying at home after college, everyone seems to have a different goal and purpose. Sometimes everything can seem confusing and like it has no purpose. In school, we needed good grades to get into a good college but there doesn’t seem any definitive reason to do well in college and it can be demotivating sometimes.

In addition, there were more rules and regulations and expectations in school. Everyone knew what you could or couldn’t do and where to draw the line, however, these lines get blurry when you reach college and without any constant supervision, it can be hard to always choose to do the right thing, despite knowing right from wrong. It’s definitely easier to get sidetracked in college since you only have your own judgement to depend on (unless you’re blessed with friends who treat you like their child).

Moreover, everybody kind of knew each other in school and that could be pretty unpleasant sometimes, especially when you were the queen of embarrassing situations. However, you see at least 30 new people in college every day and a rumor about you would probably last 20 minutes at most which makes it easier to move on with your life. I personally liked how everyone knew each other, I think that makes for a bond like no other like even if I saw someone from my school I never spoke to in trouble, I would surely reach out to help. In college, however, I probably wouldn’t even realize they went to the same university as me.

I think high school and college are very different in many ways but also alike in some. People say that when you’re at college, you stop caring what people think- while that is true to an extent, I think our generation just cares too much and that’s not something that’s been completely abolished. What I do love about college though is that I could look homeless and wear pink hello kitty pajamas and it would still be acceptable for me to step out in public- it would just be regarded as one of those days.

While I loved high school, I am just beginning to understand college and everything that comes with it. Everyone already knows the key differences such as the parties, the freedom to choose classes, to wear what you want and to eat Mcdonald’s for every meal but I just wanted to highlight some differences that affected me but which no one probably ever paid heed to. I think you can’t really know something unless you experience it and no two people would ever have the same experience.

I am so grateful to everyone in my life who made this opportunity possible and I promise to work harder, smile more and learn something new every day. Despite finishing a year, I still seem to learn something new every day and I think after everything, I will miss this a lot. Here’s to hoping next semester’s better!