We are not taught that we matter as a person; we are taught that we are but a number, a GPA. As that number changes with the addition of grade after grade, we associate that fluctuation with how successful we are and our character. My character is not defined as an A, B, C, D, or even an F. What happened to the days when we learned about the character traits in elementary school? Each month belonged to a different character trait to learn about and that taught kids how to be good, wholesome people. Then we tore down the mindset we had built up since birth and replaced those character traits with letters and numbers which became measures of definition.

College is a scam because it is an institution that was created to continue this mindset and prepare students for the real world. Well, news flash: the world doesn’t work this way. Rather the world is more connected to the character traits we learned in elementary school. I can guarantee that perseverance, integrity, and responsibility will get you much further in life than a handful of As will. College has been a good experience for me so far because I have grown as a person and am learning a lot about myself. I’m not saying that no one should go to college. What I am saying is that college should not be seen as just the next step after high school. College is meant to serve a purpose in continuing education and it no longer does that effectively because people do not go for this reason anymore. People in today’s society go to college, take classes in subjects we’ll never need and pay tuition for a piece of paper that, many times, is virtually meaningless. What do I want to be when I grow up? I have no idea. But here’s to figuring it out, and I’m sure as hell not going to figure it out in Calculus. So I’ll take that F and I’ll raise you some courage and respect.

Shyness has a strange element of narcissism, a belief that how we look, how we perform, is truly important to other people.

Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken.’