Are you enrolled in college? Are you even thinking about going to college? You may have an idea of what it means to be a college student or your parents, friends and colleagues may have told you what it means, but the meaning of it is so much more than that. Some students come to realize that on their freshmen year or sophomore and even later.

Going to college can be the best thing that ever happened to some people, but it also can be the toughest thing a lot of young people have had to face. Being a college student requires a lot, time, hard work, and dedication just to name a few. But if you go to any college campus right now and ask as many students the same question to figure out what it means to be a college student, you will definitely get various answers from every one of them.

It is not because they are wrong or don’t know what it means, but everyone has his or her own meaning of college, and it depends on what the person had to do to get here. College might mean to some people a place where you go to learn and get a degree after four years or so, but to others, it is a waste of time. The idea of going to college for a better future, better job, and better pay can be so much more than just the dream come true.

“It’s like a working progress. Whether you’re trying to get your degree, like, you’re still learning, so I think to me being a student it’s who you are, a journey for sure,” Laury Garcia, student at Florida Gulf Coast University, who is in the master’s program in social work, said.

What does college really mean? One would think that if someone is from another country, college would have a deeper meaning and more value to that person when compared to someone living in the U.S. Well, it is not always the case. There are people who love being students whether they are from here or somewhere else.

“It means a lot to me. I came here to get an education. Being here means something important to me and my family, something I’m really proud of, and I thank God for it every day of my life,” Jose Hernandez, a student at FGCU, who is from Puerto Rico, said.

College can be a blessing for some people, and it can also be a burden because of all the work and pressure. Going to college can help some people to be prepared for the task ahead of them, or whatever life has to throw at them. Most students have a job, and there are other students who work two jobs while going to school and live off campus. It can be frustrating driving back and forth to get to school with all that traffic. And having to live on their own give them that responsibility.

“Mmmm, maturing and being responsible for your own action, becoming more intelligent,” Alyssa Corneille said.

But what does it really mean to be a college student?

“For me, to be a college student means that you dedicate your life to being a better person for your career,” Emily Collier, a student at FGCU majoring in child and youth Studies with a minor in psychology, said.

Being a college student can help someone to grow and become more aware of life and be able to make their own choices. Some other people use college as a solution to get away from family and start new again.

“I think being a college student means I’m one step closer to the future that I want for myself, and it’s also an experience to get away from my family,” Andrea Decaire, an FGCU student from out of state, said.

Regardless of the reason, benefit everyone whether you get a good job or not. It is about learning so much and try to figure out who you are.