Out of the seemingly thousands of things I was told about college before attending, a few come to mind immediately. I was told that schoolwork was going to be extremely intense, I would have to manage my time well, and to join as many clubs as possible. But the most common thing I heard was that this would be the best four years of my life.

Now in my third year of college, I can confidently say that college is awesome (and so much better than high school)! You take classes that are actually useful to you, hang out with and live with your friends, create your ideal schedule without being stuck in classes for eight hours straight, gain a lot of independence and a lot of freedom, and figure out who you are, what you like, and what you're good at.

But if four years is all the best I’m ever going to get, what’s the point?

My high school AP English teacher would always tell my class that these shouldn’t be the best years of our lives because “there is so much more life left to live.” If the best years of my life consist of four years of schoolwork, then the rest of my life would be a sad one. What are the next 80 or so years of your life after college going to be about?

Just think of all the amazing things that could happen in the years following college…

Getting your first real job.

Getting your first real paycheck.

Meeting your future spouse.

Having children.

Being able to buy a puppy!

Raising a family.

Traveling.

Owning your own home (and decorating it).

Never having to do schoolwork again.

Spending time with your family.

Spending time with your friends.

Having free time.

The thought that only four short years are the best times in your (hopefully) 100 years of life would make life following college a slow and miserable process.

College is only the start of the rest of your life. College can be the best four years of your life so far, but there is still so much life left to live for.