I'm so tired. Why? Well, the reason is quite simple — I'm a college student. Some people seem to think that the title of a college student doesn't come with much responsibility. That we spend our nights binge drinking and our days sleeping off the hangovers. But I'm here to tell you that is far from true. Yes, we stay up late — cramming for tests that seem so important at the time but will be of no individual significance five years down the road. We work part time jobs and take out loan after loan, hoping and praying that our investment of four years worth of time and borrowed money will someday pay off in the form of our dream jobs. But some people in my life seem to think that this whole college thing is just a big waste of time and money and that I should just go out and find a job because that's what they did. I beg to differ.

Yes, college is expensive, and yes, college is a four-year investment. But to me, it's 100-percent worth it. For me, college is about so much more than just getting a degree. It's about the friends I've made, the lessons I've learned both in and out of the classroom and the discoveries I've made about myself and the world around me. I've made a lot of progress in my personal life throughout my college career so far. For example, when I first went off to college, I was so shy and anxiety-filled that I skipped meals and locked myself in my room to avoid socializing. It was my first time living away from my family and I didn't know a single soul on campus. I went from a small town where I knew everyone by name to being in a place where I felt all alone. I had a lot of trouble adjusting to my new environment. This went on for a little over a month until the girl who lived down the hall practically dragged me out of my room and forced me to meet new people -- people who would later become my best friends, my sorority sisters, the people I stay up late with studying, laughing and crying. The people I go to for advice (and sometimes free food).

I've been told that my areas of study (English and philosophy) are "dead degrees" and that I won't be able to find a job if I don't want to teach. False. I will survive two more years of late nights spent studying and stressing over tests. I will get my degree, and I will find the job of my dreams because I have faith. I have faith in myself and my abilities, faith in the quality of my education, faith in the less-than-ideal U.S. job market and above all else, faith in God and His plan for me. So forget all the haters and naysayers and just do whatever you think is best for you. That might include going to college, or it might not. But no matter what, the most important thing to remember is that it doesn't matter what other people think about the choices you make as long as you're happy with those choices, and right now, although I never have enough sleep or enough money in my bank account, I am extremely happy with the choices I've made.