The past few weeks, my fellow blogger Marvin Solberg has done some awesome posts on being a senior in college. This week, I wanted to add on to his most recent post about being ready to graduate college.
Hope College has been an amazing place to spend the past several years. I am constantly reminded that attending this school was a wise decision. Hope has allowed me the time I needed to grow spiritually, academically, and emotionally. However, as great as it’s been, I know that my time in college is coming to an end — and I’m okay with that. Here’s why:
Hope College has prepared me to go out into the real world and be successful. Now, I’m not saying that I have life perfectly figured out, but I know that I have the basic skills and tools needed to succeed. My professors have taught me the importance of thinking critically and having an inquisitive mind. They’ve taught me that no matter where I go in life and what I achieve, I’m never too smart or too old to stop learning. And my professors have taught me to find joy in every job or experience.
Now it’s not always easy to think critically, have an inquisitive mind, or to find joy in what seems like meaningless tasks; however, at my time at Hope, I’ve seen so many great examples of these behaviors from advisors, mentors, faculty members, and staff. My hope is that as I leave this place, I will take with me all the memories and examples from the past four years. And that’s how I know my time in college is almost done. I know that when I leave this place I won’t be completely lost in the “real world”. Instead, I’ll be able to take the lessons I’ve learned, along with my experiences, and pursue a new life in a new city.
So here’s the deal — if you’re currently a high school senior, struggling to make a decision on where to attend college, think about what you want to take away from college. Do you simply want a degree? Or do you want more? If you want more, take it from this senior, Hope College is the place for you.
“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” – Marcel Proust