We all separate college from the “real world” when talking about the two.
To get all technical, “real” by definition means actually occurring as a thing; not imagined. When differentiating college from the real world, we’re suggesting college never actually existed and/or was simply a figment of our imagination.
We do this because most experience euphoria during college, while only some experience it within the real world.
I can’t help but wonder if those who never find happiness in the real world actually manage to convince themselves college never happened, so they stop comparing current life to it. I would imagine people do.
Since blocking out college is easier than finding happiness, that’s the route some people choose. There are others (like me) who instead choose to remember the college years and seek to create a life experience comparable to or even better. This can only happen by first accepting that college is better than the real world.
College is better than the real world for the following reasons:
1.) You don’t have bills. Well, you do, but they are deferred until after you graduate.
2.) There are more parties. More parties equals more fun.
3.) Excessive drinking is normal. In life after college, you will often need to stay sober enough to drive yourself home from a party or the bar. If you drink at all, it will be casual. This will most likely make you tired, and more times than not, lead to an uneventful or early night.
4.) You feel alone less. You are surrounded by people in an enclosed (to some extent) space. It’s close to impossible to feel lonely. Post-college life lends itself more to loneliness when breaking out of that enclosed space to find yourself sitting in an apartment without anyone around.
5.) Success is based on your ability to attend class sometimes, read outside of class, write papers and take tests. Success beyond college is determined by many more factors.
6.) You have less responsibility. Notice I said “less” not “no.” Keep in mind that your responsibilities carry more weight after college. For example: if you don’t attend class in college — although it’s your responsibility to — you might lose some participation points at most. In the real world, you risk getting paid accordingly if you don’t go to work (which will matter because you have bills) or even risk losing your job (which will matter because you still have bills).
These are just some of the many reasons, but you get the gist: college is better than the real world.
It’s important to accept that “college is better than the real world,” but rather than living in denial, it’s especially important to not accept it forever and actively seek ways to start saying “college was better than the real world.”
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*Section Photo credit to St. Thomas Aquinas and Featured Photo (above) credit to Texas State Technical College.
