Real Kids Say What They Love About College

There’s lots to gripe about when it comes to college — bad roommates, final exams, student loans, the food in the cafeteria — but when you look closely, there’s a lot to love about college, too. Here are five real-life college students sharing what they love about college.

1. I like living in a dorm because on most week-nights, as you get ready for bed, or do your homework, you can hear voices in the hallway of people talking quietly about school things. And it makes me feel close to a lot of things, I guess. -splitlikespunglass
2. my favorite part about college? spending hours in the library and art studio working on my homework. THAT’S RIGHT, I SAID IT. it’s not the parties or the people or the “experience” it’s sitting alone at this desk in our library reading a study on the film modern times. it’s going to our screening room and watching movies by myself. it’s taking a little trip to the studio and setting up my easel and going to town on my assignment for art class blasting margot and the nuclear so and so’s, the cure, and phoenix and singing loud because no one else is even on the same floor. those moments make me love college. -frenchriviera
3. I love sitting in the visual arts building to work, but I am distracted by the beautiful people who are constantly walking by. - exposed-silence
4. my screen printing professor dresses like andrew mcmahon and gives me a high five or fist “pump” (but he means bump) every time i answer a question correctly or make any sort of comment. he also made a black dynamite reference the other day. he is awesome. -swim-forthemusic
5. As I was sitting in my class before this, … I reveled in the moment as I listened to many of my classmates’ presentations. I feel so privileged to be surrounded by so many bright young minds. I can’t help but think that these people (including myself) are the future of America. A lot of the time, that is a scary thought. But today as I listened to my classmates, I felt confident about the future of this fine country. Sure college is stressful and expensive and the work load sucks sometimes, but sometimes you just have to stop and look at the big picture. I feel so fortunate to be able to attend a university and continue my education. I actually feel like I am getting an education. Almost all of my professors have been top notch educators; knowledgeable people who truly love the subject they teach and care about our education and our experience in their class. And especially in my poetry class and the creative writing class I took last semester, the people in my classes are great. I love hearing their ideas and opinions and I’m amazed sometimes at how intelligent they are. It makes me feel bad about myself sometimes because I’m not as invested in my major or my interests as much as a lot of these people. I mean, some of these people already have published works or recorded tracks and are making names for themselves! It really inspires me to focus and get serious about my education, my future, and about growing up. I want to be that person in a class that inspires someone else. I want them to hear me speak, and to think to themselves, “Wow, she’s really got everything together; she’s serious about life.” -kelli-with-an-i

What do you love about college?