By Madisyn Zipper

Week Two

I think we can all agree that the topic of college has been etched into our brains from a young age. Even in pre-school we’re forced to pick a profession. I was always one of those undecided kids that just chose to follow in their parent’s footsteps. I don’t think anyone appreciated the super quiet awkward preschooler claiming she wanted to be a singer.

Anyway, we’ve always been told that deciding the college we’ll go to is one of the biggest decisions of our lives. Of course, there are ton of factors and a bunch of grown-up stuff to consider, so it’s pretty important. But one of the worst parts of the whole journey is the silent judgment. Sometimes we do it involuntarily, or we really want to measure someone’s worth with their answer to the question, “What college are you going to?” Or we’re the one being judged. Either way, those polite smiles aren’t fooling me.

First, and definitely the most rage-inducing of them all, is the topic of community college. It seems that when any type of student, from hardworking all the way down to the sleepy slacking student admits that they’d like to go to a community college, the polite smile ensues. Why is it so hard to believe that someone would want to go to a community college? Maybe they aren’t ready to leave home, or maybe it’s their financial state. Or maybe they just want to go to community college. It isn’t a sin. It’s college! They should be applauded for actually caring to further their education, even if it isn’t an Ivy League.

Now comes the name-dropping snobs. Watching people boast about their already-planned futures and their out-of-state adventurous life-choices can make everyone else a bit bitter. (Me, totally just me.) Ever witnessed one of those honors kids take someone through their calendar for the next eight years? Completely oblivious to the fact that the future can change? I think all of us have.

I guess under all of this jealously I’m trying to say that the future is really unpredictable. I’m also attempting to erase the etched height that college has been given. It’s really important, especially today, to implement plans for more education, but the way one decides to receive that education shouldn’t be important. Let it be a choice, without having to mask embarrassment behind the phrase “community college,” or pride behind the phrase “Ivy League”. So, if you ever feel that polite smile creeping up in a college-centered conversation, ask yourself if your choice was in vain or purely an optimistic start to the future.