My Four Years In College Aren't The Best Years Of My Life, And That's OK | The Odyssey Online
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My Four Years In College Aren't The Best Years Of My Life, And That's OK

I don't agree with the following statement, and I'm perfectly content with that.

Eric McInnis
May 08, 2017
Arcadia University
27
My Four Years In College Aren't The Best Years Of My Life, And That's OK
The Campaign for Free College Tuition
"College is the best four years of your life."

Right there is a quote I'm sure everyone has heard at least once in their life. And it's understandable why they say it. When freshmen go to college, they are in control for the first time. They choose the classes which interest them. They figure out what they really want to be when they grow up. They discover things about themselves and who they are as individuals that they didn't understand or recognize until they were on their own independently.

However, if college is supposedly the best four years of my life, then the rest of my life's going to suck. Now I'm not saying my freshman year was bad. Far from it. I had good classes, great professors, cool new friends, the works. I learned what I like about independence, what I don't like about independence, and what I need to improve upon in the future.

But it's important to understand how ludicrous the very idea of college being the best time of my life really is. The average male life expectancy in the US is around 77, according to the World Health Organization. Currently, I'm 19. While I might be lower or higher than the number, let's say I die at 77. As of now, I have 58 years left on this Earth. In that time, I'll have a career, meet interesting people, find new hobbies and interests, get married, travel around the country or possibly the world, and so much more. College has a lot of fun benefits, but I doubt I can do all of the things listed above, and even if I could life would be pretty darn boring.

So no, I don't believe college will be the best four years of my life. But I'm content with such a belief. The great thing about the human experience is how unpredictable it can be and how it defines itself by moments. Some of the best parts about college have been many of the things I've listed before, but there are so many parts of life which are as great, if not better than the moments people will experience or have experienced in college. So while I doubt college will be the best part of my life, I'm not gonna be upset over that fact.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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