Is college the only goal left?

“Your school might be over but remember your education always continues” -Daphne Guillory

Last night when I was sitting at my desk with books scattered all over the room, diet coke cans, a stack of my practice mocks, and a browser with 20 apps to understand something. My heart was racing because I felt like if I did not get a top law university, my life which has barely started will effectively be over.

Since we were kids we have been sold this narrative: Complete your graduation with the highest possible grades, get into a top university, get a corporate job because corporate jobs have stability, and then you will find happiness. But with artificial intelligence, I feel like the entire narrative is changing. The “golden ticket” of a degree is not just a way to win the game.

For an average teenager, “college” is not just an educational choice but is a social status. We talk about which college we want, which course we should take all of that before even deciding what we want to do with our lives. We have this crushing weight within us for a few reasons which are a) parental expectations:- our parents clearly define “success” for us b) peer pressure:- watching everyone’s stories or posts on social media platforms where they are talking about universities or colleges c) FOMO also called the fear of missing out:- The idea that if you do not do this, a few years of your life will be wasted.

This is a question no one really asks

Who decided that your entire life can be decided by one exam?

We act as if our entire life is just a straight line- school, college, job, marriage, stability. But when was life ever this linear. It is full of second chances.

The idea that there is only one correct path is “comforting” is because it reduces uncertainty. If we follow the script, we are safe. But safety is built on fear which is extremely fragile.

For most teenagers including myself, college is not just about education. It is also about worth.

When someone asks you “which university do you want to go to?” what I feel they usually are asking is “how valuable are you?” I must say this is a dangerous equation.

If your worth is attached to a name of an institution, what happens when you don’t get in? Does your intelligence disappear? Does your potential decrease? Does your capacity to build a meaningful life disappear overnight?

Obviously Not.

What if we expand the narrative? Instead of asking “which college or university do you want to get into?” we ask “what kind of person do you want to be?”

Resilient or fragile?

Curious or rigid?

Adaptable or dependent on structure?

And here is the part that feels uncomfortable to say:

Even if you get into the top law university, the anxiety doesn’t magically disappear.

The life — the thinking, the building, the adapting, the creating — that part is mine.

And that part cannot be ranked.

this was me last night while trying to understand all the material I have