College- Liberation

Although college is seen as "the best years of one's life," and a time when liberation and imagination emerge, many of the actions and trends are conformations to society. Expectations and competition consume much of a college student's life. For example, in class we were discussing that one would not converse about poetry or physical chemistry at a party. Even though we are here to learn and liberate our minds, society still has expectations of college students. These expectations become an arm's race of who goes out the most AND the highest grades. Finding one's ideal perfect balance of school and social life at times seems impossible as if it were balancing a chemical equation. Expectations and desire have conflicting ideals in college and one can face each day fulfilling whichever ideal is more appealing without guilt. There are minimal restrictions, and the university feeds off of each other's ideas. This leads to protests and organizations that strive for a liberation of their desires. This may be why people feel college was the "best time of their life" because dreams were pursued and wants were fulfilled. However, the structure of society usually consumes the college student at the conclusion of the four years. College life fades as one reflects on the best years of their life.