My brother goes to Princeton.
Perhaps he fell victim to the ideology that post college life without an Ivy degree is fruitless or maybe he bought into the school’s agenda to push their unofficial motto, “Princeton in Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity”, to the wide-eyed and ingenuous freshman class or he simply has African parents who want their children to strive for life’s highest achievements.
Whatever the case may be, his past month at the globally renowned institution got me thinking: What are we running towards?
Every phone call and meeting since my brother’s set foot on campus has been filled with complaints on the unexpected rigor that came not only with being an Engineering major but also with the school’s academic structure.
The #1 university in the United States, it seems, was created to drain young, lively students of all vigor and hope, shutting them in one of the ten libraries on campus or in their dorms to once again, stare at a screen or textbook for hours on end.
There is simply no time for fun or a break -if you wish to maintain a good academic standing.
In America, the dream of college is imposed so greatly on students, whether through media or societal pressure, that we are told to start preparing for our future as early as sixth grade. And yet we wonder why one-third of American students incur an anxiety disorder before they get to college, where that number jumps up by another 10% according to the National Institutes of Health.
It is unfortunate that from age 11, parents begin to target the right highschool for their children so that the children are started on the right track for college. As students, we hear of the Ivys and we dream of it as the only place for success because our nation has groomed this idea inside of us.
We continue to chase this fruitless dream, stripping ourselves of the significance of the now.
Don’t get me wrong. Getting admitted into an Ivy League school is a big accomplishment and I’m proud of my brother and anyone else who enjoys this grace. However, it’s just as important to know that getting into one, or any college for that matter, is not a bed full of roses. Hard work, resilience, staying up all night, studying; these things don’t just magically end once you graduate high school, if anything, it intensifies.
Just the same way you build up your transcript for college now, is the same way you’ll have to build up your resume if you want a steady job after college. Just the same way you’re applying for scholarships now, is the same way you’ll have to if you wish to pursue a higher education. Just the same way you could do research on the military now, is the same way you would if you want to serve the country. There is no way out. It’s just a constant spiral.
Which is why I ask once more: What are we running towards?
That oblique future is not certain. Nothing is. So why do we keep running? Why do we let the system control us instead of taking a stand? Right now. These four years in highschool, that would fly by so quickly, is what matters the most now. Once you leave, no matter how much you swear you won’t, you will miss it. The peace. The luxury. The simplicity of high school.
I just hope that when you look back, you will find stress-free memories that put a smile on your face. I hope you won’t look back to see a void you created in a place of such nostalgic memories.
