(Feb. 9, 2012) — As the college application/preparation process comes to an end for seniors—and begins for others—students begin to think of their plans for the future. They (or their application supplements) ask, “Why college? Why am I going to college?” To this, a plethora of answers may arise: “Because my parents expect me to,” or “Where else would I go after high school?” or “I don’t want to start working yet,” and, “…because I have to go to college to get a job and earn a lot of money.” This, in turn, raises the question of what we really want in life. There seems to be a need to reevaluate our motives. People have cut out an image of the perfect life and the pathway leading to it—get into a good school, graduate, get a job and earn money, then buy a house and raise a family. But is it possible that people have overlooked some minor details in their aspirations? Consider the typical student with dreams of being rich. He may consider becoming a doctor. Surely, he’s aware of the cost of education and the number of years he’ll have to spend in school. But does he know for certain whether he’ll be able to handle all the work and stress? When he finds a job after college, will he be able to lead a healthy, happy lifestyle? Will he be comfortable being on call for the rest of his working years and not having enough time for family? Money does not yield happiness. We’ve heard this time and time again, but it doesn’t seem to be sticking. Parents are still trying to push their kids into pursuing high-paying careers, and students are losing sight of what’s important: doing what truly makes them happy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the average graduate goes through seven career changes. This is not only a waste of money, but also a waste of time and effort. If people find themselves miserable after so many years of working, what happens then? Will they be able or willing to go back to school and start their lives over again to pursue what they really want? Probably not. So they should focus their energy into going after what will give them not only adequate income, but also lifelong contentment. In the same sense, going to college shouldn’t just be a stop along the way or where you have to go in order to reach our goals and dreams or to get money. It should not just be a name and a ticket to the good life, but a place that complements who you are and provides the resources, opportunities and type of environment in which you can thrive and further your development as an individual. It is where you are given the chance to realize how you fit in the grand scheme of things. It should be where you verify or find your dreams—where you find yourself. Perhaps if we all consider this and think—while we’re still young—about what we want, we won’t find ourselves crying over a wasted life in 30 years.