5 Reasons Why College Is The Happiest And Saddest Time Of Your Life
From the day we are born, college is a thought; parents set up funds before their children are even born while the rest of the family is excited to push a new member of the family to go to their alma maters.
We are all expected to attend college to ensure lucrative futures and experience the four best years of our lives. Not to say they aren’t amazing years, but no one ever seems to express how equally difficult they are, too.
Even movies, like "American Pie," show nothing but outrageous, over-the-top parties, with all the hottest people having the best nights of their lives.
But, never do we see Stifler’s post-party reality. Of course, that isn't a desirable movie make, but the true version of the film gives teenagers watching false expectations of post-high-school life. Instead of seeing it in the movies we watch, we have to experience it ourselves.
Thus far, in my college experience, it is safe to say these past few years have been the happiest, but also the saddest, years of my life. You can’t just live these four amazing years without going through some sh*t along the way.
Here are some times when you'll realize you are at your highest and lowest points:
1. Happiest when you leave home and start over with new people
Saddest when those new people become your second family and you have to keep leaving them on breaks and eventually forever, after college.
2. Happiest when you think you know what you're doing with your life
Saddest once you realize that you actually have no idea what you are doing with your life and start thinking about changing your major, creating a brutal cycle of what if’s.
3. Happiest when you start experiencing college parties
Finally, you are living Stifler’s life in "American Pie." You start going out and having a great time with your new friends in this new environment. Saddest when you wake up with regrets worse than your hangover.
4. Happiest hoping to fall in love with The One in college
Saddest when you realize that most guys don’t want to settle down while in college, and there is no one you would be proud to bring home for the holidays. Hey, there is always hope for post-college, though!
5. Happiest living on your own for the first time away from your parents
Saddest when you realize you are just thrown into the “real world” after college. No one ever taught you the important things in life, like how to pay taxes, anything about politics or how to cook something besides pasta.
College feels like a limbo world between childhood and adulthood. It is four years that consist of a whirlwind of emotions; once you get comfortable, it’s time to leave again for breaks, studying abroad and/or internships. You are constantly being tested inside the classroom and outside, as well.
This time of our lives doesn’t necessarily make us feel secure in our futures, but it teaches us more than we expected. You start learning who you are and who you hope to be in the future. You meet so many people and see so many things that teach you about a life you never imagined.
Maybe that’s why people say these are the most amazing years of your life — because they are truly just the start.
