By Alexandra Gargon (Whetstone Writer)

Alexandra Gargon

Up until about a year ago, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay at Wesley College.

By the end of my freshman year, I was almost positive I wanted to transfer to a bigger school, with more people, and more of an emphasis on print journalism.

I did not feel as though I was getting the college experience that I looked forward to the summer coming into college.

I’d always pictured college life differently.

At first, I focused on making new friends and doing well in my classes.

I joined the staff of the Whetstone to try and gain some real experience of media arts and writing for a paper.

I looked forward to weekends – but when they came, I realized a lot of people went home, and that weekend events for those of us who remained were not advertised well.

This was not exactly what I dreamed college life would be like.

I also was disappointed in the lack of employment opportunities in Dover.

I have always been most happy holding a job and having a steady income.  Keeping busy and being productive throughout the school year are very important to me. These are things that I have been accustomed to since I was 16 when I started working.

When I came to Wesley and I was unable to be as busy as I wanted because of the lack of weekend activity, it was a culture shock, for lack of a better word.

I grew up in northern New Jersey, not far from New York City and Philadelphia. I balanced school, work and a fast-paced lifestyle.

Coming to Dover was a major switch – a switch I thought would be no big deal. I was wrong.

These were just some of the things that made me decide I wanted to transfer.

But after all that time and research devoted to transferring schools, I didn’t do it.

I’ve heard that the friends you make in college are the ones you will have throughout the rest of your life. I am beginning to believe that this is true.

But, I didn’t stay for my friends.

I stayed because I’ve realized that college is not just about the friends you have, or the things you do on the weekends, or the grades you receive.

College is about gaining real life experience. And, when it’s over, you are basically thrown out into the real world, where you are forced to be an adult and make real life decisions.

The most important thing is to walk out of here with a degree in hand and an optimistic attitude.

And that’s exactly what I am going to do.

Why spend all that time and energy on finding a school with the same classes and programs offered, basically the same types of people and the same crappy weekends.

No matter where you go, there will be things you love about the college and things that you don’t necessarily love.

And, after all, isn’t that real life?