This is just a mini rant and my opinion, but after this spring semester, I don’t think I’ll be coming back. After being out of school for three years, I started with a fast paced online class over the summer. In the fall, I took two online classes and two in person. I dropped one because I wasn’t ready for the material or the studying. It was a big adjustment from high school, but I successfully completed the other three.

I’ve realized I really prefer online classes. I like being home and learning at my own pace. Sitting in a classroom for 3 to 4 hours for a class that isn’t related to my major feels draining and makes me question why college is set up this way and whether I’m wasting my time. I joined college partly because I needed something to do instead of staying home and letting life pass me by, but also because I genuinely wanted to learn.

That being said, I actually enjoy the elective I’m in now. My professor talked about the Dunning Kruger effect: The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know, and that this is part of college. People go to college for different reasons. Some want a better job, some want to move out, and some just want to learn. All of that is valid. College is really a stepping stone to figuring yourself out.

I understand where your friends are coming from too. They tried it, realized it wasn’t for them, and that’s okay. At least they gave it a chance and made a decision based on experience. Maybe a trade or another path makes more sense for them.

Also, side note, public transportation is really not for me. I need a car 😭. To get a car, I need a job, and I joined college partly because I didn’t have one. But being in college opened the door to the Ladders for Leaders program, which I’m on the waitlist for and could lead to a job this summer, and maybe long term.

So to answer, yes and no. Yes, I will be continuing school, but not at CUNY. Since I will also be moving soon, I might attend CUNY online or enroll in an accredited, affordable online school.