College: it is what you decide it will be

When the word “college” is murmured, what sort of images come to your mind? Are they visions of rustic ivy-laced buildings gently lining a majestic green landscape as endless rows of sweater vests inquisitively trod brick walkways? Or are they visions of a much more honest environment?

One thing I have always found to be amazing about Olympic College is the sheer pedagogic diversity of its students. People of all age, shape, background and lifestyle can go to OC for as long as they want, or, for that matter, an explicably short amount of time. They can get a general degree, or they can even get certification for a trade of their choosing.  They can take a full schedule of classes, or they can take something here and there to slowly work towards something else. When all is said and done, it could be argued that OC is merely a stepping stone in a greater picture of things. All these varying mannerisms of studying have been making me wonder; where does OC fit in the standard perception of college life?  

OC offers many of the things that make up the collective idea of the “college life.” Sports, clubs, extracurricular activities and student government are in no short supply at this quaint little campus of ours.  It all comes down to the personal choice of the student whether to participate or not.

I think age plays a relatively large part in this issue. The walkways of traditional 4 year schools tend to be lined with the faces of the young and unhinged. While, at OC, a great deal of the student body is composed of people outside of the standard college age. This includes older students with children and families, whose priorities greatly differ to those of more “average” students. And let us not forget the running start students who are yet to receive their high school diploma.

The concept of the transitional college is something critical to consider, like I stated earlier, OC can be seen as merely a stepping stone in the grander picture of things. Most students are working to attend a different school or to get into a profession and probably are not too focused on their surroundings.

When it comes down to it, the OC experience is a completely non linear endeavor. As cliché as this sounds it is simply what you make of it. If you want to involve yourself in the affairs of your campus you can, or if you just want your education and nothing else, there isn’t a thing stopping you from achieving that.

Matt Fields