Five Reasons Not To Worry About College

By: Katherine on 12:27 AM

Hey. So, last night my younger sister texted me because she felt nervous about college. And I am no stranger to this feeling. In fact, I can prove how well acquainted I am with it through a fun anecdote.
Our story begins on the night of the college open house at which I received my scholarship. Faced with such incredible news, I did the logical thing, and cried for an hour and ruined my new free tee shirt with my tears and mascara. I am not proud of this. But it all seemed so overwhelming: everything was changing. And it absolutely did. But when I look back at that night, I realize I didn't have as much to fear as I thought I did. So here, with no further ado, are my five reasons not worry about college.
1. Everyone is equally scared, or LYING
Seriously though. I know I'm here telling you not to worry, but everybody is basically scared to death to go to college. But this is a comforting knowledge, I promise, because it puts the same pressures on everyone. Scared you won't make friends? So is everyone, and it will make them even friendlier. Everyone is in the same boat, and it makes it really easy to make friends and to find people to share your new experiences with.
2. There is not a scenario where you starve to death. 
Hank Green does a sweet video about this: we're hardwired from evolutionary years of the survival of the most cautious to view change and the possibility of failure with fear that it really doesn't warrant.
A few thousand years ago, you make a bad choice and you're dead. But these days that's not really the case; no matter who you are, you have a safety net, you have a network of people who care about you, and there is not a scenario where you fail catastrophically. There really isn't. Keep that in mind: the worst case scenario probably sucks a little bit, but it's highly improbable that you do any truly irreparable damage.
3. You're not ready, and that's fine. 
Here's a short list of things I didn't know how to do when I left for college:

• open a bank account
• jump a car
• request my transcripts be sent
• file taxes
• get my car's oil changed
• make a doctor's appointment
• wear false eyelashes
• make a graph in Excel

And here is a list of things that I have learned how to do, and then done, through no personal injury or discomfort:

• open a bank account
• jump a car
• request my transcripts be sent
• file taxes
• get my car's oil changed
• make a doctor's appointment
• wear false eyelashes
• make a graph in Excel

There are some things you just learn by doing. One of my favorite quotes on the earth is by Ray Bradbury: "Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down."
4. Lots of idiots go to college and do fine. 
Excuse my coarse language, but this is just a fact. Plenty of people have college degrees. Tons. It doesn't take a special kind of person to make it at college, it really doesn't. But you're probably special. And Ann, if you're reading this, you're definitely special. You're so smart and so funny and so important and you'll definitely make it. I know this because I know you. But if you are not Ann, please know that there is someone who knows you and understands the best things about you, and has confidence in you even if you don't have it yet yourself.
5. You're going to meet people you love, and do things you love, and this a tremendous opportunity. 
I mean this sincerely: people will tell you that college is the best years of your life, which I think is actually kind of annoying because it sets up the rest of your life to be awful or something. But seriously. You have a huge potential to be happy in new and unprecedented ways. C.S. Lewis wrote "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." If this doesn't describe going to college, I don't know what does (which is actually a strong possibility. But I digress). There are so many good things ahead, regardless of where you go to school or what you're looking for. Going to college means the freedom to define what matters to you and to pursue it, often surrounded by like-minded people who you will likely grow to love. So before you worry about college and what you're losing or risking, remember how much you stand to gain. A little courage goes a long way, and to be honest, even if you do freak out, you'll probably make it anyway. I know I did.
With love,
Katherine