My College Experience
When I was finishing high school, I grappled with the idea of where I wanted to go to college for a long time
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My whole view of choosing where to go was shaped by others in high school— mostly students and teachers—as well as by my older siblings.
I ultimately decided on what turned out to be the right decision for me, which was staying home and continuing to live with my parents. In my experience, choosing to stay home was the best possible scenario for several reasons.
I look back on my thought process during my senior year, the struggles of choosing where I would spend the next few years of my life, and I am glad that I settled on the decision that I did. The university that I ended up attending was very local; I am blessed that it was within a reasonable walking distance and an even shorter drive. I am happy with the quality of education I received there, and I feel that it has set me up for a good career in the future.
So why did I struggle to make that decision for so long? Unfortunately, a lot of people look at education from a statistical point of view. It seems that everything in the world— academia, the workplace, sports, hobbies, everything—can be viewed competitively. From this perspective, it’s all about being the best.
It’s about getting the best grades, making the most money, and in this case, getting into the best school. This is the type of thinking that was indoctrinated into me at my high school, and it was a very unhealthy way of looking at my future.
Statistically speaking, not everyone can be the best, and it can be harmful pushing that thought process onto a bunch of teenagers at a critical point in their lives. The way I look at it now, anywhere you choose to go will set you up for a successful career if you study and apply yourself diligently.
I had considered moving away from home to go to school, but I realized that it would be harmful for me to be so far from my home ecclesia. At the time, I would have liked to think that I was strong enough to drive a few hours home every weekend to go to meeting, but as I look back on it, I don’t think I would have been as good about it as I’d thought.
There are times in college that you feel very busy and overwhelmed with school. Now that I have experienced that I don’t think I would have done well spiritually with both school stress and being far away from home.
I am happy with my decision to stay home, even if the school that I ended up going to supposedly had a lesser reputation than others. I would recommend staying home to any young Christadelphian, if the option is available to you.
Simon de Caussin,
Verdugo Hills, CA