College is a subject that has come up a lot recently, whether it be in the election or in school, and there is a good reason for it. It's a large step in anyone's life, no matter their age, and it's a topic that should genuinely be talked about, if not more than it is right now. Having said that, I think that personally, it's important, because even though I am currently a sophomore, I don't have a huge amount of time left before I have to make that decision for myself. As of right now, I have made the choice to go to college, and here's why.

Some might say that college isn't an essential, and for them, that might be true and they're entitled to that opinion. But I think it is. According to an interview in early 2015 with Rick Santorum, "70% of Americans don't have a college degree." However, I want to be a part of the 30% that does receive a college degree, because in life, there is a certain amount of milestones, ones that prove to be important for the future and in general. For me, college is a milestone, and I want to be able to say that I made it to and through it. In addition, I know that I want a better education for myself, one that could genuinely contribute to my own future, and I think that college could provide that for me.

Education has always been a large part of my life, from when I was around six years old, up until now and I don't want that to change anytime soon, because even if sometimes it's difficult, learning is a continuous opportunity to discover and grow and figure out more about the world around me, things that I didn't know before. It is a chance to be able to go out into the world and show it what I'm made of, by utilizing everything I've learned so far. It makes every single year of school, every test and every exam worth it. I know that it's hard work and that it might not be all sunshine and rainbows, but I've heard that sometimes, the most difficult things lead to the best things. Working hard for something, meaning you've eventually earned it is a great feeling, and I want to be able to earn a degree and say that I did it, that I worked hard and received what all of that work went into. I want an education.

I am unsure as of right now the specifics of what I would like to pursue, but I do know that I want it to have something to do with psychology. I would like to get my master's and eventually go on to earn a PhD, which would give me a good percentage of flexibility with career options, something that is important to think about, atleast in my opinion. I have always enjoyed assisting others and being an ear for those whom need to talk. In addition, I have always been interested in how the mind works and how our behaviors and reactions pertain to not only the anatomy of it, but the generalized topic of the human brain. I want to be able to not only follow my dream of becoming a psychologist, but I would like to be able to help others to my fullest potential, and I feel as if getting a degree, sealing up all of the knowledge I would receive, would be the best route to go.

However, I also think that it is important to not only consider the advantages, but also some of the disadvantages that comes with college in general. I have not experienced it myself yet, but, living in a college town has given me a bit of an inside look on what it might be like. I also have a family member whom was, and still is a college professor, so I have a few vantage points to go on. First off, one of the upsides, though it might seem naïve of me to say, would be the independence that you gain from being away from home. Although, this point is a bit bittersweet, as often times, you have to leave the place that you've always called home. Next, would be the class times, and how flexible it may seem. This one is another that is slightly both a positive and negative part to being in college. You are given the responsibility to be on time and you have to learn how to manage the time that you have been given, which, more often than not is sometimes a difficult task to master. Lastly, there are others at the college, students who could be in the same position as you are, and therefore, could be potential acquaintances or friends, and that's a good thing, because college is an experience where having people to go through it all with you seems like a decent idea, and in my experience and opinion, that always seems to make things a little better.

In slight transition, I would like to say that in this moment, I am also not sure about whether I would like to attend in-state or out of state, though, I have found, through various times of personal research, that the tuition is less for those that are in state, rather than students whom have come from another state. But, what I think is neat, is that despite that, there are prospective students from all over the world whom are able to look at colleges all over the country, and end up attending them. Personally, having lived in the town that I do, for so long, I think that there could be a lot of different reasons why or why I shouldn't attend an in-state college. In some ways, I would like to be able to explore other areas, but I also like the feeling of being close to home, so that is something that would be a large factor in my decision process.

In order to conclude, though I have so much more that I think I could say, I would like to admit that I am nor an expert or quite ready for college, or to make proper decisions for myself in terms of something as large as college or university is. But I think it is important to understand and prepare for things like this, because it turns into motivation and inspiration to work hard and to fight for what you want for yourself, and this is something that has made me feel like that. I want to better not only myself, but my lifestyle in general and it's good to know what you want, so that you can become excited or influenced by it, and the whole experience becomes rather beneficial to a person, and in specific, to me. College would provide those things for me, so that is why I have chosen to pursue it, despite what others might think. It is my choice, and I am proud to be able to have a role in making it.