By Hannah Brown
Think about the stereotype for the “average college student.” Depending on who you ask, there may be an assortment of answers and stereotypes that are associated with being a college student.
In these four years, we, as college students, are trying to get good grades all while figuring out who we are and what we want to do with our lives. This is easier said than done.
Most adults and the generations before us associate college students with drinking, partying and slacking off. This may be true for some, but it is not at all true for college students.
Only a third of citizens in the United States have a college degree. Many students often are the first of their family to pursue a college degree. It’s easy to see that the four short years you have in college (if you’re pursuing your typical bachelor’s degree) are the prime years of your life.
You’re expected to find out your likes, dislikes and choose a career path in these four short years. We go to high school for 13 years to prepare ourselves for college. However, we go to college for less than a third of that time to prepare us for life.
“College students just party on the weekends. You’re just going to ________ University to party,” some people may say.
This is a stereotype linked to being a college student. However, most college students can be found lying in their bed with a bag of popcorn binge watching Netflix on their weekends or working one of their many jobs.
“Your parents are paying your way through college! College students don’t know how to manage money,” others may say.
I can easily speak for the many college students in the U.S. who work five jobs, 40 plus hours a week to pay their way through college in order to graduate without much debt.
“College students are lazy.”
Yet another stereotype college students are associated with. Lazy college students may not actually be lazy. We may just be exhausted from our hectic schedules and in desperate need of a nap.
“College athletes form cliques. They only spend time with their teammates and exclude everyone else.”
When you spend up to four hours a day, six days a week with people who share the same interests as you, it is difficult not to form a close group of friends that you want to spend most of your time with.
Granted, this isn’t true for a majority of athletes on Bluffton’s campus. Most athletes live and have classes with people who aren’t athletes.
There are many other stereotypes college students are associated with that may be deemed true or false depending on your outlook. It is important to remember stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. They cannot be pegged with everyone.
Not every college student parties every weekend, skips class everyday and is financially sound. It is important to assess everyone’s situation before you are quick to judge.
I want to say best of luck to all the college students out there who continue to work hard and break the mold of “typical college student.”
Continue to strive for greatness and your hard work will pay off. However, don’t forget to have fun sometimes. College are the prime years of your life. Let’s enjoy them!
