If you’ve talked to an adult (including your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, or any other person older than you) about going to college, it’s pretty likely that you’ve heard the phrase “the best years of your life” at least a couple times. In fact, you’ve probably heard it quite a few times. Every high school graduate hears this statement pretty often, but not very many people stop to ask, “Why?” So I’ll give you my take on it.

Above all else, I think it comes down to the friends you make in college. While you may think that your college friends will be just like your high school friends, but older, think again (and read this blog about handling and coordinating the two groups). Because of how much your personality and interests can change once you enter college, you may be attracted to very different types of people. And that’s totally okay—having a diverse group of friends is a great way to become a socially balanced person. Living with your friends (as roommates, dorm mates, or neighbors) creates a different kind of friendship. These are the friendships that will last the rest of your life (not that your high school friendships won’t, but they require a little more work).

Another of the “best years of your life” reasons is the personal growth that you’ll experience during your time at school. You’ll be exposed to a vastly larger amount of variety, both in your academic and social life. You’ll meet people that will teach you about different ways of thinking and living. You’ll learn about new ways of looking at the world. And you’ll start to solidify some views and beliefs because of what you’ve learned and experienced, instead of having them passed down to you. Through experiencing new cultures and worldviews, you’ll begin to develop your own, unique way of looking at life.

Lastly, I think that it is simply the amount of fun you have that will make your college years the best years of your life. This has a lot to do with the friends you make, as discussed earlier, but there’s more to it. You’ll enjoy learning and the tasks that come with it, such as reading, writing, and discussing. (You may not believe it now, but you will have classes where you’re excited to open your book or get to class in the morning.) You’ll go out with your friends and do things you’ve never done before, or go to a crazy party that you’ll never forget. You’ll experience college dating (which, though it has some serious ups and downs, is a very fun scene to be in) and the flirting that comes along with living with members of the opposite sex. You may study abroad, and spend a month (or even a semester) overseas, learning about a completely separate culture and language. No matter what you do in college, you’ll find that you have a lot of fun doing it.

And that, my friends, is why your college years are the best years of your life.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or funny stories you'd like me to share about college or the blog, email me at stu@stuvu.com