In this previous post from 2010, I gave my reasons for not going to college, and what that meant for my education. But since I’ve now been in college for a year and a half, I’ve decided that it’s time to add to the record of my unusual educational journey.
I loved growing up homeschooled, and my “2 years off” after high school were packed with even more fantastic learning opportunites. I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference, wrote two more novels and started a couple of screenplays, practiced my drawing, studied story structure, read voraciously, took over ten thousand photos, earned some money, performed a piano solo at the State Fair, and dissected my favorite movie plots.
However, despite all of this, I eventually realized that God had something more in store for me. (Isn’t that a common theme?)
Some of the reasons I finally decided to go to college:
-I finally figured out what career path I wanted to pursue (pre-production for animated films), and I needed to learn and improve my skills a lot before I was ready for it. I know there are a lot of great online schools out there, but a traditional college seemed like the best environment for me.
-I began to feel lonely spending all day at home, since everyone in my family either worked during the day or went to school themselves. Despite my severe introverted tendencies, I wanted to be a part of a community that fosters faith, learning, and fellowship.
-College can be a fantastic place to make important connections, find opportunities and new experiences, and become a well-rounded human being. At home I was so wrapped up in my own little world, and I wanted to break out of my self-inflicted shell of comfort.
-I felt like God wanted me to go to college for his own reasons. He’s omnicient, so of course he’d know what’s best for my life. I decided to trust him and go.
-Last, but not least, I was intensely curious about the whole thing.
I looked at several colleges, and after praying a lot about it, I found myself here.
Many of my peers have a like-minded passion for learning, which is both exciting and inspiring for me. Some, however, simply float through college and aren't even sure what it means to learn. I try to enjoy every day (even the challenges), and embrace each door that God places before me in my path to knowing more about Him and His incredible creation.
