Going home for winter break should be a relaxing time for students. After the stress of finals week, all students want to do is go home and leave the tension from the semester behind. But when their family members constantly ridicule them about their education choices, relaxing can be difficult.
Brandon moulton / equinox staff
Seeing extended family over the holiday season inevitably means being asked how school is going. Often times, family and friends can be judgemental about Keene State College as an institution. People outside of the KSC community view the school as a “party school”, when in reality any other college campus that is not a community college has parties as well.
When students tell others they attend Keene State College and are then given a response along the lines of, “what do you major in, partying?” It can be discouraging. Some people cannot seem to get past the fact that an outburst like the Pumpkin Festival est occurred years ago when the school itself has moved on.
People who go to more expensive schools assume that just because they pay more money for their education, KSC is “easy”. Just because Keene State College is a more affordable option compared to other colleges and universities does not mean it is not a legitimate school.
Having supportive friends and family who encourage you to make the best decisions for yourself and your future is extremely important.
If you are passionate about your major, then family and friends should push you to do the best that you can and not question your motives; even if they do not fully understand why you want to do something. By receiving criticism such as, “What are you going to do with a degree in that” students might view their academic choices negatively. If students receive encouragement from friends and family, they will feel better about their decisions.
When people know they have a strong support system behind them, they are able to face their challenges head on and know that no matter what, they have someone to back them up. It is also crucial to keep in mind that everybody does not have the same opportunities.
Not everyone has the chance to attend college and receive a degree in their area of passion and that is important to remember.
It can be frustrating when family and friends critique your schooling experience when they themselves did not attend college and it feels as if they are speaking out of terms.
But, it is important to be proud of the decisions you make for yourself and the accomplishments you achieve throughout your college career.
Being empathetic and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is a good quality to have that will keep you grounded and help you stay humble.
At the end of the day, use your experiences to benefit others and always do what makes you happy and do not let what others think of you impact the way you view yourself.
