College: the society-made tool for building character, feeding minds, helping people find lifelong friends and preparing people for jobs that will (hopefully) yield a decent amount of money. So why - may I ask - do I find myself surrounded by lost, drunken, depressed and stressed college kids, searching for their destined path. How am I supposed to react to all of that money rapidly draining out of my bank account?

College is great...don't get me wrong. But for a non-conformist thinker like myself, college sometimes feels like running in a hamster wheel. I am constantly forcing myself to enjoy classes that feel like memorizing things solely for the sake of keeping the traditional education system alive. The daily experiences I encounter walking around the city, working a job and having simple conversations with strangers have been more beneficial to me than any textbook lecture. I find this to be the disturbing reality. Education and learning - something so valuable to the human mind - is being suffocated in fluorescent jail cell classrooms. The human mind is meant to be challenged and encouraged to think, not limited by memorization and antiquated methods.

Universities try (with study abroad programs, internships and out-of-school experiences) to seem modern and advanced, but classwork has not evolved from the traditions put in place long ago. Why not? Advocating this tradition is like saying the tradition of segregated schools or male-only voters should remain because it is the norm. Don't you think that's a bit outdated? It's time for a change.

Each individual has a unique mind and a different way of learning. We need to embrace that and let students come to their own conclusions. Caging these creative minds will only lead to students who "pop" Adderall, who wait for the weekend just so they can escape with alcohol, drugs and shallow relationships. Teachers: you need to challenge minds, break down classroom walls and let students see the real world. Please. Get students interested in facts by showing them how they relate to reality and make education relevant to the present day. If this doesn't happen, the broken-down connection between student and teacher will perpetuate and kids like me will be forced to seek alternative life paths. Without a stimulated mind and heart, school is just a chore, a mechanical procedure. How can we make learning more of an experience? Students: it's up to you to start being present and stop living in a false reality. Stop escaping into electronic destinations and virtual relationships. We are here to explore, seek, feel and live. Kids will continue to mindlessly become numbers in the school system, not outspoken adventurers. Don't you think it's time for a change?