You have two choices in life when it comes to growing up and transitioning out of highschool into the shark tank of adulthood. 1. Continue on with your education, or 2. Go straight into the workforce. Most of todays generation I would like to say are going to choose option 1. But you do have some that choose option 2, and you also have some that choose option 1 that should have choosen option 2 because they fail miserbly in college.

But College; a time to live, find yourself, experiment, test the waters, and learn.. That is why we go right? So, here is 10 reasons why I believe the college years are the most important years of your life, as learned through my own perosnal experience.

1. College opens a door for you to be whoever you wanna be. No more conforming to the socially accepted norms, values, beliefs, and rules set by your parents, family, friends, and even just the area you live in and its traditional ways of life. College is where you can break free from all of that and truly be the person you have been wanting to be but havent been able to be. Or college can let you find that person, its a good place to find yourself and really learn alot because you are on your own now and have nothing holding you back; well besides your school schedule, tests, and homework... but besides that, its free reign. No one cares in college. Everyone is too busy with their own lives to be infatuated with yours and what you decide to do. That's what makes college such a great environment to find and become the person you want to be regardless of how you were raised, where you live, and what others will think or say. College is the cool parent that says " yeah dye your hair pink, do whatever you wanna do".

2. College is where you meet your bestfriends. We've all have/had bestfriends growing up, whether we've known them since elementary school, middle school, high school, or another connection, college bestfriends are just better. Something about being on the same trajectory in life, going through the same changes and exploaration and just being there because your friends and family are at home. College bestfriends are the ones that stick. The ones you keep into your adult life. And if they're loyal and the bond is solid, bestfriends you'll have for many years on after college.

3. College is the time for experimentation. Whether its with new clothes, hair styles, new foods, friends, social cliques, or your sexuality with boys and girls. College is the perfect place and time to try new things. You are in an accepting environment where everyone else is doing the same things as well, so no one is judging or none the less even worrying about what you do.. so put on your white lab coat and experiment on my friends.

4. College where you figure out what you wanna be when you grow up. Whenever everyone thinks about college the connotation is always tied to partying and fun. While that is true, because that is what you do in college, it is also a time where you strap down, and hustle. You take a bunch of basic classes and by the time your second or third year roles around you have a pretty good idea of what you wanna be and what you wanna do when you grow up. That my friends, is a beautiful thing that makes you excited for the future.

5. College is where you find your sisters/brothers. College is filled with thousands of people of all different colors, shapes, sizes, interest, hobbies etc. But there is no better feeling then finding a group of girls or guys and that you just click with. The kind of people that are "your people". So many fun experiences come out of being apart of a Sorority or Fraternity and the only time and place you can be in one to experience the fun things is... college.

6. College is when you figure out your own potential. You always get told growing up how great of a person you are and all the great qualities you have by your mom and dad and immediate family, oh and other family at family gatherings, yall know what I'm talking about. But there's just something different about being away from that support system and being on your own. College tests you, mentally, physically and emotionally. Sometimes its unbearable and you wanna give up. But you don't and that's when you start to see the qualities and potential others said you have instilled in you. And for a second, you're like damn... they were right, I am badass. Then you go back to crying and cramming for exams but anyway....

7. College is the time where you find out how strong you are. With all the course work from gen-ed classes to classes in your major, college is the time where you find your inner strength that you probably didn't know even existed. You have to be strong to be in college, not only does taking 18 hours suck, so does staying up all night studying for exams, writing millions of papers, speaking in front of the class, and just putting yourself out there to try to achieve something you really want. I wonder why college students are never in the comics or in superhero movies because it takes a lot, and not everyone can be one and do the things they do.

8. College is the time where you learn how to be independent. Yeah, its been a good eighteen years on the tit, but its a hard life when you have to come off and your mom and dad stop taking care of you. You are officially out of the nest and now its time to learn how to cook, clean, do laundry, and take care of yourself. Who knew that was so hard? Not only does it suck to now be on your own, but you appreciate things so much more now because you know you are never gonna be as good of as cook as your mom, your clothes will never smell the same or be folded like she did them, and everything takes so much time and energy. College is a real swift kick in the butt and a huge reality check. Being on your own is fun and all but not all of it is fun.

9. College is where you find heartbreak. No one likes getting their feelings hurt, none the less a full blown heartbreak but I think its good and needs to happen. Hopefully not more than once or a few times cause then your quality of life is low. Heartbreaks are good because it weeds out the negative people and the people that you aren't meant to be with. Each one teaches you a lesson and you can take something from it and use it in some part of your life, whether that be fixing something about yourself, or just not making the same mistakes with someone else or in another relationships. Don't get me wrong, Heartbreaks suck but the heart is a big strong muscle and it always recovers.

10. College is where you find your soulmate/love of your life. Yeah it took awhile... because you were running around being wild... I mean its college. Or maybe it didn't take awhile and you found each other fast but either way, college brought you together. For most, like myself it came way later, senior year to be exact but it came. You have your time to date around and see what's out there and what others have to offer, but nothing is better then actually finding the one. The one that you can see a future with beyond the frat parties, nights at the bars, or sitting beside each other in class. The relationship that carries you out of your college years and into adulthood with marriage and family. Thanks to college you found them. If you never went to college then you wouldn't have them so if anything, that in itself is WHY THE COLLEGE YEARS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.