Why I Decided To Apply For College

I’m 21.
And this year, I will be a freshman in college.

“Why is that?” you ask.

Why am I starting college three years after the average norm?
(Actually, I graduated in 2012, so hurray to being graduated from high school for four years.  So that makes the gap even “worse”, right?)

I don’t regret the wait to start college, though.  Looking back now, I would recommend at least a two year break between high school and college to almost anyone.  ”Why is that?” you may ask again.  I shall tell you.

Being home schooled all the way through high school was absolutely lovely (minus the excruciatingly painful study times in my bed at 8am).

After graduating, I decided to not jump directly into college but instead find a job (newspaper reporter, then barista), buy my own car (paid for in cash), travel (in the States and out of the States), teach, write, invest in family and friends.  And I would never want to trade any of that time for being a college graduate at 21, instead of a freshman.

Not only did I have so much free time to dabble in whatever I wanted to, but I was able to learn so much about myself during these last few years.  It’s a commonly known fact that high schoolers really don’t know who the heck they are.  Teenagers are still discovering things about themselves, changing rapidly – physically and emotionally – trying to figure out what they like, what they don’t like, who they want to date, where they want to live.  (Those are things you’ll probably be dealing with for the rest of your life, honestly, but I’m specifically referring to high school seniors.)

I, for sure, didn’t know what I wanted to go to college for IF I had decided to apply right after graduation.  I saw so many of my peers enroll in college and when I asked them what they were going for, 99% of them shrugged their shoulders and said, “I don’t know.  I’m just going and in a few years, I’ll probably figure out what I like.”

Why waste your time, energy and money on studying for something you have no idea what you’re working towards BY studying?

That brings me to reason number two for deciding to apply for college at the age of 21…
After praying about what God wanted me to pursue and life, and being open to whatever career direction He placed on my heart, it was made extremely clear to me this year.  And since that moment of clarity and peace, I applied to two colleges.  I got accepted at both, but decided to go to one of them.
I will be studying for a degree in Psychology.
And I am BEYOND ready and excited.

Hello to that college scene!  I’m coming for you.