A couple of days ago I was eating lunch while sitting by the entrance of the College Bookstore and the Women’s bathroom in the Union when I saw that there was a line of seniors waiting to get their documents, their graduation ropes, or their senior picture taken. They looked like a normal crowd of people waiting in a line: loud and somewhat impatient. However, I could not stop wondering if they felt any different to other crowds. These seniors were preparing themselves to accomplish a big and important step in their lives, which is graduating from college.
I was very curious to know if they were thinking about all they have done and accomplished in the past 4 years at SUNY Geneseo or if they were thinking about their near future. Did they meet all the expectations they might have set for themselves before coming to Geneseo? Are they satisfied with all their work in this past years? Do they feel ready to face the reality of their lives after they finish college, whether they go directly to graduate school, into the workforce, to an internship, or take a gap year? Did choosing Geneseo contribute towards helping them achieve their ultimate goals in life? What would be these class of 2018’s risks and rewards?
The risks in joining a college or university are not easily talked about in general because they correspond differently to a specific person or group of people. Some seniors might be risking being away from home and spending less time with their families, and as a result they become homesick more often. For others, it might be paying the college’s tuition because even if they take out loans they will have to pay them back after they graduate. Another risk could be not being able to contribute financially to their family that could be struggling because of not being capable to work full time while being at school.
However, many of the rewards of going into college like SUNY Geneseo can be found in the Geneseo Learning Outcomes for Baccalaureate Education (GLOBE). Studying a specific subject that they like and want to dedicate their lives to in the future while acquiring knowledge in other subjects at the same time are also contributing factors stated throughout this document, and especially with Geneseo being a Liberal Arts College. This point is proven when GLOBE states that: “Geneseo prepares students for twenty-first century challenges through the development of intellectual and practical skills that transcend disciplinary boundaries and are applicable throughout their lives.” Also, for most students, getting to experience a different lifestyle that might benefit them in terms of becoming a more independent person is another positive outcome. The social aspect of college could be counted as well, including making new friends and new connections that could become beneficial in their future by creating academic partnerships with them earlier on.
I was burdened by all these questions and concerns at that moment because those were the questions I believe I would be asking myself when my time to graduate from SUNY Geneseo comes. Therefore, I wonder if I would be able to turn all these questions and concerns into positive outcomes that will make me accomplish all the rewards GLOBE claims Geneseo students will leave with. Until then, I have to remember to live my present in order to dream for my future.