Thankful November Day 10 - College Dichotomy

Day 10. I am thankful for my college experience. Not so much the lesbian experimentation and waking up in someone else's bathtub that others may hazily remember. I'm talking about how I spent my first two years at Dickinson, but graduated from UNL.

My two years at Dickinson taught me that I could hold my own academically. I was challenged and flourished in an accelerated environment. I met wonderful people, some of whom I credit to my self development to this day. When depression drove me to contemplate self harm in my sophomore year, I decided maybe being closer to home and all things familiar might help. So, I transferred to UNL.

My education in Lincoln was completely different, but just as important. Where in Pennsylvania I was isolated to nurture my mind, in Lincoln I was able to learn about the world. I worked 30+ hours a week, lived on my own off campus, and had a live in boyfriend. The academic requirements were undoubtedly less stringent than Dickinson, but the life lessons were no less valuable. If a college education is supposed to be well rounded, then I think I was lucky enough to have gotten one.