What College Taught Me

We have all been told going to college is so rewarding because having a degree helps you get a good job, but rarely do people discuss the small rewards and lessons learned from going to college and being on your own.

Hear from our founder, who recently graduated during the midst of a pandemic, on what college taught her.

<Insert from The Renaissance Society>

Go to college they say. It will be great they say. You need a degree to get a job they say. Everyone will laugh at you if you don't go they say. You will find yourself they say.

The tale of education is a story I have been told from the day I was born. From before I could talk, adults whispered about my future. I watched through my virgin eyes as my parents pour their wishes and dreams into me. I listened as my teachers whispered the wonders of college into my ears. My mouth filled with the stories of strangers and their vision of my future.

Despite my reservations about college and the education system, I did it. I went to college, and I made it out the belly of the beast. 4 years and thousands of dollars later, I have a degree in B.S.E for Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. For some reason people are always surprised by my education, it's often amusing really haha. I am often curious what people think about me before I have gotten a word out to shatter the illusion surrounding my identity. Anyways back to the lessons of college... what did college teach me really and is it worth it?

I first would like to state, having a college education is a privilege that I believe should be awarded to everyone; however, I am not 100% confident that the system is perfect as is.

College was a valuable experience that I found to be definitely positive overall; I do not think I would have been able to garner the information I now have if I was left to figure it all out by myself in the Caribbean.

Lesson 1: College Taught Me How to Adapt to a New Way of Living

Because I had to move to the US, I had to learn an entirely new system of doing things. Though it was scary and I often thought I would get lost, moving to a new country is incredibly transformative. I had to learn how to get around without a car, how to manage my own finances, how to sustain myself, and how to be responsible for my own life.

Lesson 2: Quality over Quantity

Though it took a while to get this one down, I realized quality interactions and relationships are far more valuable than quantity. In college, I learned what kinds of people I did not want to associate myself with. I don't think for most of college I found my crowd and that was mostly because my major was stressful and I wasted so much time trying to fit in rather than do me. Either way, I realized, I would rather live life alone than surrounding myself with people that drained my energy. Towards the end, I found people that I could actually talk to about deep shit and not gossipy non-sense that literally did not matter.

Lesson 3: Your Identity is Different for Everyone You Meet

Everyone you will meet in college will have a different story of who you are to them. The story of <name> in your head is far from what others see. With that in mind, I found it was more important what I thought of myself than what anyone else thought because I know myself. Also, I realized the stupid petty shit I worried about, people are likely to never remember and it was self-centered of me to think they did. Give yourself a break and stop being so damn hard on yourself. Try to be your highest self and just let the rest be.

Lesson 4: You Cannot Control Everything

You can study as much as you want and still fail an exam. Does that mean your life is over? Even though it can feel like it, it really isn't. College taught me you cannot control everything, and sometimes you just have to do your best and wait. Life is happening for us, not to us. When it seems like the ground has been pulled out from under you, just remember you are alive and take a deep breath. Even if you do not get that job, that scholarship, that class, it is okay. This is not the end. The game of life is not over. Focus on what you can control, and I assure you you will make it through. You are stronger and more capable than you realize. The universe is working for you, not against you.

Lesson 5: Unlearning is Learning/Seek New Experiences

When you finally get the room to think for yourself without the pressures of cultures and parents breathing down your neck, you can start to really question your reality. Maybe you grew up in an isolated community, and you need to learn how to engage with others that do not look like you. Maybe you are exposed to people that shatter old beliefs. Now is the time to unlearn old mental constructs that are holding you back. It takes a lot of effort to unlearn things that are the foundation of how you move through the world, but it is important to analyse, reflect, disassemble, and re-built to keep evolving. I implore you to question your story, your truths, our origins, the world, where we are headed, and why. It is ok to experiment in a safe space with a solid circle of peers. Try some new shit.

Lesson 6: You are Worthy

Go repeat the lesson. Yes you are 100000% worthy of everything you want, desire, long for. Not being the best doesn't make you unworthy and what does it even mean to be the best? Whatever ranking system you judge your life by, cut it out. You are worthy of all the opportunities. You deserve to have a seat at the table. You deserve to be heard. You are enough just as you are. NEVER let anyone steal your energy or mental health.

Lesson 7: You are on Your Own Journey

Stop comparing yourself to others. You are on your own unique life journey that no one else can even compare, so why are you trying to swap lives? Focusing on living your life. Make the most of your environment. You are on your own path with your own timeline. Stop rushing. Stop. Savor. Appreciate. Be grateful. One day you will look back and laugh at yourself for not being present. This is your life. Do not miss it.

Lesson 8: College is Teaching You the World as It Is, Not What It Can Be

Everything you learn in college is based on the past. They are not teaching you the future, you need to go out and create that future. The world can be whatever you want it to be. Do not be fooled by past-rules; the future is the unknown. It is unpredictable. Living according to that unknown.

Lesson 9: This Is Just One Perspective

In college, you no longer fall for the awe of adulthood. You look at the world and you being to see it for what it is, and for some, this can be depressing. I would like to remind you that this is just one perspective. You chose how you perceive the world, and there is so much we cannot perceive. The news makes money by perpetuating a negative image of the world, when in fact there is so much to be grateful for. Anytime you hear a story, see some new piece of information, meet someone new just remember this is just one perspective. It is partly true, and there is more behind the curtain that you cannot see.

Lesson 10: Financial Literacy is Valuable. Learn It Now.

Even though I dislike that money has consumed our world and turn most people into materialists, it is important to understand how money works. Financial literacy at an early age can set you up for a life of ease or a life of difficulty. Again this is one perspective, and in my college years, having a decent grasp of financial literacy ensured that I was financially secure even in times of uncertainty. Do not fall for the BS of marketing and consumerism. Learn financial literacy.

Lesson 11: It Is Ok to Not Know Everything

Even though I can flaunt my college degree, I can admit I still have a ton of questions. I probably have more questions than I had before college. It is ok to not know everything. College is not meant to give you the answers to everything, but rather teach you how to learn, how to be resourceful, how to think, and how to engage with others. Life is a continuous learning experience. Not knowing everything, does not make you dumb. It makes you a humble human. Be open to new perspectives, new approaches.... it is in this space that you grow, evolve, and transcend.

Lesson 12: A College Degree Does Not Equal Success

One thing that became 10000% clear to me in college is that a college degree does not equal success or intelligence. I know people in college who's view on the world straight up baffles me. I also know people that are far more successful without a degree. Though having a degree helps open doors for some people, it does not guarantee success. A college degree doesn't make someone less of an asshole, and where you get your college degree does not make you better or worse than someone else. If you have a degree, do not talk down to those without one. You are NOT better than them. They are still people and frankly, being a douche because you have a degree says more about you want the other person. Be humble. We are all people.

Of course, college taught me a lot about Electrical Engineering and building cool stuff, but the learning does not stop here. We learn every day. Whether or not college will be valuable to you is truly based on what your needs and limits are. College was not a piece of cake for me; it is for some. College was not cheap for me; it is for some. I do not think everyone needs to go to college to succeed; for some it can be extremely helpful, but for others, it is nothing more than a piece of paper. I have seen people get jobs at top companies without a degree. I have seen people without a degree make more than those with a degree. There are many resources to help you learn what I learned for free online. Also it is never too late to get an education if you want one. College is an experience. I went to college because I knew it would help me navigate the much larger world outside of the Caribbean and I could talk to experts about the things I truly wanted to know. I will say you learn a lot about yourself in college. I am grateful for the past 4 years, but I am not who I am because of my degree.