Editorial -- Taking your time

Recently I've spent a lot of time thinking about why people expect a person to finish college at a certain time. People aren't the same, and they don't learn the same, so why would they take the same amount of time through college?

Anyway, that is why I wrote this editorial. Enjoy :)

P.S. Sorry I haven't put up a new post in a while. Things are getting crazy at school, what with trying to study for Midterms and completing scholarships by their deadline! Gotta pay for all this college somehow! I'll be putting up some more posts soon I swear!

Tick... tick... tick... taking your time

Published in the February 25, 2013 issue of the Kishwaukee Kaleidoscope

First I have a question to ask you, Kougars, and then I have a confession to make.

Raise your hand if you believe that Kishwaukee College is a two year college. 

Yep. Just like I thought. Everyone, including myself thinks that.

Now for my confession. This is my third year at Kish. 

I came to Kishwaukee College with the totally rational expectation of completing my associates degree in two years, and then transferring on to another school. That was my plan, and most people probably have the same plan when they enroll here. Every semester I enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, 12 being the minimum number of credit hours needed to be considered a full time student. In fact, that is the number I based my enrollment on every semester that I've been here. 

When I came to Kish for my orientation day and they showed me how to register for my classes, the counselor who helped me told me specifically not so sign up for any more than 12 credit hours. She told me I would be overwhelmed.

Naturally, I thought that as long as I had twelve or more credit hours I was fine, and was doing exactly what was expected of me.

But I've been doing some math. It takes 64 credit hours to graduate from Kish, right? So I divided that by 4, which would be the number of semesters if you were here for 2 years and didn't take any summer classes. I ended up with 16. You would have to take 16 credit hours each semester to graduate in 2 years. 16! That is four more credit hours a semester than is needed to be a full time student, and unless you are taking some sort of advanced math class, that is two more classes to add to your schedule.

I don't know about the rest of you, but with the class schedule I already have I really don't know where I would fit in two more classes. Besides I think I would drown in homework every night trying to keep up with all of those classes. I'd end up failing at least one class, if not several, and would have to retake them, and ultimately wouldn't end up graduating on time anyway.

Up until recently I felt ashamed that it was taking me so long to get through Kish. I felt like I didn't measure up somehow. The feeling became even worse when my little sister started college. How embarrassing would it be if she managed to finish college before I did and she started two years after I did. I really struggled with these feelings for quite some time. Then suddenly I realized something.

College isn't a race.

Sure there might be a "typical" path to follow, but why would I want to be typical? I'm a special and unique person, and my college experience is going to be unique. So even if it takes me longer to get through college than is expected, that is okay. The important thing is that I don't give up, and that I eventually reach the finish line and am handed my diploma, whether that is next year, or 10 years from now.