But maybe the pressure to make college the best years of our lives makes it harder to enjoy them. Maybe the need to make the most of every opportunity prevents us from being present for any of them.

The version of college remembered by previous generations - or presented by current students on social media - is not necessarily realistic for most students.

We know people filter the difficult parts out of what they post. We see the parties, friendships, accomplishments, study-abroad trips, and graduation pictures. We rarely see the financial anxiety, failed exams, loneliness, family pressure, uncertainty, or exhaustion happening outside the frame.

College has also changed. The cost of an education can feel like mortgaging decades of your future. Students are expected to graduate with experience, connections, leadership credentials, and a clear plan for what comes next. There is less room to follow your curiosity when you believe every choice has to move you toward a specific target by a specific age.

To be a person, we need time.