With midterms at hand and stress levels at the threshold, I have been asking myself lately what is my motivation? Our entire lives we have been told that we should go to college. It seems like something that is supposed to be done, but not for the right reasons. We should be here figuring out who we are, not worrying about getting a steady job right out of college.
English major Emily Volk knew from an early age that she needed to get a college education. “I felt expectations to go to college from my parents, classmates and just society in general. I think in our generation, parents just expect you to go because they want you to be able to get a job,” Volk said.
When getting so caught up in the future and thinking about our careers, it can be easy for someone to forget why they really came to college. Some of us have known exactly what field we wanted to study and put our life’s work into since we were children. We have come to college to sharpen our skills in that specific field as well as expand our knowledge on worldwide issues.
If you’re one of those people who came to college having no idea what you wanted to do in life, then think of this university setting as a golden opportunity to learn about what ever you desire from people who want to teach you.
Often the only words of enthusiasm I can tell myself are, “remember it will make you more money in the future,” but that does not help. If the only motivation here at the university is to graduate and make more money, then that is all we are going to aim for. Being here we are getting the privilege of a lifetime. We are being taught a wide array of subjects that we get to choose ourselves. We cannot just be focused on getting good grades and getting out of here.
Nicole Whitehurst, a junior math major, has been criticized by some people who believe that the career she wants won’t be used to the full potential for her degree. “Parents, teachers, and employers have asked me why I just want to teach and not do something that will make me more money,” Whitehurst said. “Sometimes I wonder if I am making the right choice, but then I get in a classroom and teach and it reassures me.”
College is about gaining knowledge and learning how to do everything on your own. It is up to you to decide what you get out of college. The location, the living situation, the classes, and the extra curriculars are just a few lifestyle choices you get to make for yourself.
We should be discovering our passions and getting inspired by our professors and peers. It seems like money is always running our lives. Between rent, tuition, and most importantly food, some college students are scared to spend one extra dollar and actually do something for themselves.
Junior human physiology major Sam Holland used to spend too much time focusing on making money in the future, but has realized there are more important things he can be putting his energy into. “Money is a necessity to living a comfortable life in any consumer society, but it also destroys lives every day,” Holland said. “I know I’m capable of earning at least a livable salary in the future, so I do my best to not worry about it until I actually cross that bridge.”
Society is turning the college atmosphere from a place of curiosity and conversation to a place where people go in order to earn more money in the future. Many students have experienced the pressures of having to get a college degree in order to make it in this economy. We followed what we were supposed to and now we are here, but we are just trying to make it through every class and get out.
We should be here for the experience of learning not because we want to grow old making more money than our peers. Not everyone is going to get job offer after job offer with awesome salaries when we leave this place; it will take many of us a good 10 years just to pay off student loans.
It is time to take a step back before we get out of here and really think about what we want to learn that can better us as people, not just what will make us more money.