True Fulfillment

Denise Chai

It’s that time of the year, when after the admissions cycle of searching, planning, working, stressing, waiting, and rejoicing/mourning has come to a close, and Dalat seniors are preparing themselves for the final stretch of high school.

For those hard-working seniors lucky to have the intellectual and economic means to entertain alternatives, choosing the right college becomes one of the first-world problems many of them have to face.

Student Lilian Li (12) weighs in on the topic, “Choosing a college is hard because it feels like I'm choosing my next phase in life, but it is also exciting because I don't know what the future will hold.”

As exciting as it surely is, there’s also a lot to consider. With their heads swimming in statistics, drowning in advice as they weigh the pros and cons of each institution, and as their hearts and brains are locked in fierce battle for the rightful candidate to arise, along with the dreaded AP tests and all the impending heartbreaking farewells, selecting the right college can drain the life out of seniors as much as the application process itself. There’s just so much to think about. The location, the food, the people, the weather, the employment outlook... Just imagine, a few factors changed, and a student’s future might veer off into an entirely different course.

On top of that, there’s also finances to consider. As it was practically branded into our brains after Senior Sneak: "College is expensive," to put it as lightly as Jing Low said (12).

Should seniors go with their gut? Or should they listen to the people who contradict them despite all the assurance that they REALLY know better? Sifting through a sea of information, how can seniors determine what truly matters the most when it comes to choosing the right university?

Jia Qi (11) gives her advice, “Forget the best cafeteria food and the impressive statistics from basically every college tour guide and admission officer. Look for the flaws and the right school won't have any— in your eyes. Go with your heart and never give up on your dream school. It's your dream school for a reason. Also, location matters. A TON.”

In their frantic pursuit of the right choice, there’s always that lingering fear of the vast unknown beyond our tiny Dalat bubble. This fear may coax students to base their choices on the institution that gives them a sense of safety. They might perpetuate the familiar, choosing to go to the same school as their friends and family members. They might look towards metrics like Forbes or US News rankings for reassurance or pay frequent visits to Mr. Dobson for advice.

While such actions are surely understandable, no amount of research or advice can provide a complete picture of the mountain of opportunities those (hopefully) four transformative years of college can be. No matter where an individual goes, college is what a student makes of it. College can be awesome or downright terrible. It really depends on the individual student and what (s)he gets out of an institution.

The most valuable thing students can arguably get out of their undergraduate years is the opportunity to venture out of their comfort zones before they transition into full-fledged adulthood.

In my personal opinion, seniors, don’t just look at which school will be the best guarantee of wealth, but look at the institution that will challenge you in multiple dimensions; choose an institution that will not just load you with skills and knowledge, but trains you how to think. Also, an important thing college life can teach us is to set our priorities straight. Sure, college can be an overwhelming hotpot of academics, social life, finances, jobs/internships, but success in these areas does not always guarantee happiness and fulfillment. The most important thing is to not fall into the trap of basing our worth entirely on such measures, but to realize that God will always be there for us no matter where we are in life.