With midterms almost upon us, the semester is about halfway over. Some students are graduating in December, others in May, but either way the college experience could soon be coming to a close. I have two full semesters left before I wear the cap and gown, so with growing anticipation for post-graduation here's why education doesn't define you.

Society says that everyone needs a college degree to succeed in life. You're supposed to go to a four-year college and get the degree while having a part-time job and extracurriculars like greek life and clubs. It's just what society says and luckily it's becoming more and more normal to take alternate routes to get to where you want to be.

Education doesn't define you. So you've had only high school education? So what? Some college? So what? Graduated from Brown? So what? Where/if you went to school doesn't matter in the real world. It's what you do with yourself that does. Just because you might have a degree from a fancy school doesn't make you any different from someone who has a degree from a lesser known school. No one learns in the same way so you'll have different skills and mindsets. Sometimes you don't even use the degree you earned. If I learned anything in college it is that life isn't about planning. Sure, it helps to have goals in mind but plans twist and change throughout life. You have to go with the flow.

The fact of the matter is, no matter what level of education you have, it doesn't define who you are. You define who you are. You might decide to open a successful coffee shop without any education and that works! There's so much pressure these days to do well in school, get a job right after graduation and make something of yourself. But sometimes you just need to breathe and figure out what makes you happiest.