Do you ever just look around at where you are in life? Does it feel like you’ve gotten nowhere? You look to your left and you see some of your old classmates have already settled down, gotten married and are having child number 17. Ok, maybe not 17, but pretty close. Then, you look to your right and you see your other classmates and they are already into their careers and making bank. Then you look around and see some others are living it up with their friends and going on vacations constantly when they’re not at concerts. And then there’s you. You still feel like you’re in high school.

It feels like you’re getting nowhere and wasting thousands in tuition by doing so. It seems like everyone is getting on with their lives, and here you are. You’re still taking classes. You’re still saving up to be able to afford something off of the dollar menu. Your old friends have worries like mortgages, kids and passports into Greece. It pretty much feels like you don’t have your life together whatsoever. When you see your old classmates starting families, careers and worldwide vacations, you can’t help but feel like you’re behind everyone else. One of your main goals is to graduate so you can catch up to everyone else. Once you graduate, you can finally get started on your career, family, or worldwide vacation.

It feels like you’re not doing anything with your life. It can get depressing at times when you think about it like that. You are only in your twenties, after all. It’s great that your other classmates got a jump start on life. Don’t be jealous of them. Everyone moves at different paces. Another way to think of it is by asking yourself one question: “What do I want?” What do you want out of life? You’re not really doomed to be in college for the rest of your life. Don’t worry about never graduating. You will. It might take longer than anticipated, but you’ll get there.

It doesn’t really help when people treat you like a kid because you haven’t even gotten a taste of “the real world” or “adulthood.” As long as you’re on this earth, you are in the real world. Just because you haven’t taken on paying all of your bills and a full time job just yet doesn’t mean you aren’t an adult. Being an adult isn’t necessarily measured in what you do for a living. It’s also how you handle what life throws at you. I’ve heard some people say that I’ll miss school as soon as the bills start showing up, but I beg to differ. I would much rather have my career going and bills showing up in my name than studying for tests and making a living off ramen and oatmeal. I say this now, but when I do get those bills and career, it might be a different story. We’ll see.

College is not for everyone. Some people can find their happiness in life by doing things that do not require them to go to college. Just because they don’t go to college does not make them any less of a person. Some people don’t realize until they have gotten to college that it’s not for them. I’ve had some friends to leave college and take a different plan than they originally intended. Some of them seem genuinely happier than they did when they were in college. Who you are should not be determined solely on the amount of education you have.

Now, I’m not saying if you’re getting bored with college to quit and see what comes of it. If you are in the last stretch of your collegiate journey and you don’t have a plan, instead of quitting, please try to stay and graduate. Get your degree. You might not have any idea what you’re doing after graduation, but did you have any idea what you would do if you left a semester or two before graduation? If you can, and ONLY if you can, stick with it. If you don’t have a plan as to where you’re going, at least you can have a degree than can open more doors for you and give you more options. Also, if you already have a ton of student loans to pay back, you may as well make it worth it and have a degree to show for it.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Keep yourself updated on what you want. You may not want the same things in life that you wanted in high school. You might have changed your mind since then. You might have even changed your mind within the past year. Always ask yourself what you want. If the answer changes, then you can make the necessary changes in your life to bring you to your happiness. It’s not just your college career. It’s your life. Make sure that you’re on the path that you want and need to be on to reach your goals. Live your dreams.