After twelve years of schooling, it has snowballed to a stall. I now face the most influential years of my life —and college. Growing up as a curious child, I was constantly questioning the future. The dark abyss waiting for me down the road was something I desperately wanted to understand. Collecting my answers, I recognized that everyone around me considered college a requirement. Something that was expected of me, and the looming pressures of college were daunting. With the idea stashed in the far back corner of my mind, I started high school with underlying worries about what I wanted to study, where I wanted to go, and who I would become. Looking for a way to distract myself from the impending questions of my future, I impulsively signed up for a track camp hosted by Brigham Young University. This camp consisted of the on-campus experience: living in the dorms, eating from the dining hall, attending lectures, and training like collegiate athletes. By being on campus for only a few weeks, my entire perspective around the reality of college completely crumbled.

I jumped when the idea of going to a college track camp surfaced. During this one week on campus, I would have the opportunity to learn directly from college coaches, experience a taste of college life, and learn how to connect with those around me. Standing on the rubber track, staring at the intricately designed landscape, I was immediately hit with the realization that my mentally drawn picture of college was utterly wrong. Spending the entire week in a position where I was treated and expected to make responsible decisions like an adult, I was shocked by my adaptability to college. My fears of college started to melt away as I saw myself fitting into my future role as a college student. Consumed by the thought that getting out of my comfort zone is drenched with risks, I was hesitant to take the leap of faith to join the camp. However, my perspective quickly shifted to recognize firsthand the potential I possessed for my college life.

Thinking of college is like a coin: one side where college is something to fear, and the other reflects how college is where the potential is most recognized. Now that I can flip the coin and see both sides, I know college isn’t something to resent. As a society, students are constantly pressured to go to college and graduate with a practical degree. My environment put these pressures in place, and I was always scared of the unknown attached to the future. By attending camp, I was utterly mesmerized. As the week went by, the idea of returning to the reality of high school held no appeal. What started as an opportunity to learn more about being a track athlete shifted into something bigger—a glimpse into my future.

Society paints college as daunting in the future, but in a straightforward week, I finally broke the face value of college and saw it as something to look forward to. As I am nearing the end of high school, that consistent voice in the back of my mind worrying about college has subsided. My plan for college is slowly falling into place as I hold my college acceptance letters in my hand. Holding my future in my hands, the tunnel vision set in place by fear slips away, leaving me clear.  Having the knowledge I do now, I know that college is not the end but a bright beginning for adulthood. The future is what I make it, and there is no reason not to be excited about all the possibilities.

© Caitlin. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.