By Jacob Peller, Staff Writer

Published Oct. 1, 2014

There are many things that you just can’t see when you’re living on the inside; of course, these things seem to only become evident as soon as you leave that place and slowly begin to realize the unique truths that existed only within that space.

College has always been seen as a different world, one where it’s not uncommon or unusual to see a variety of colorful characters and unique methods of expression.

Just think about the cool music, performances and even something as relatively simple as what color your backpack is.

All of these things come together in college and create, in a sense, a new society. It’s our own tiny nation with its own laws that govern our day-to-day actions.

In this new social hierarchy, you are taught: how to live on a weekly schedule pattern, the acceptable methods of completing assignments and projects while simultaneously managing your social life, while actively participating in the many events provided by the university, such as workshops, special theme parties in the cafeteria and block parties.

As you might expect, many students begin to fall into a routine around this schedule.

In fact, more times than not I’ve found that many people put in the bare minimum in terms of effort towards classes and instead focus on their “super important” social lives.

For four years we’re subjected to this lifestyle (for some of us, anyways), until one day we are given a piece of paper and thrust out of the classroom and into the “real world.”

And it is there that we will stand in a land so foreign to what we have come to know.

Nothing works out there like it does here, there is no guiding hand pushing you towards a goal, and perhaps most shocking there is no single acceptable consensus on how you are supposed to do anything.

We are left on our own from that point forward where we have to fend for ourselves.

With that in mind, think about what college has trained you to do so far. Think of all the fraternities and sororities, all the honors programs, and all of those classes meant to give you special skills to put to use.

We’re told all of these things, but in the end you’re left with nothing but a piece of paper and memories of the “best years of your life”.

That statement alone speaks to what I mean; heck, it’s kind of comparable to a prisoner’s last meal.

This idea that college is the best time of your life implies that from then on nothing will ever compare.

It becomes an enigma, a memory full of unparalleled enjoyment, where you could be the lord of your own land and time.

This is the place where some cool professor can say: “you paid for this class, so naturally you can do whatever you want during it”.

Ideas like these don’t exist in the real world, at least not for everyone.

For most of us, there will always be someone who controls our life, such as a landlord who demands rent in exact dates, or a boss who bases pay off of aptitude and actual contributions.

College is a lie, or perhaps an illusion is more comparable.

It is almost exactly like a modern day “Allegory of the Cave.”

For those who aren’t aware, the Allegory of the Cave was an idea espoused by the philosopher Plato who found that prisoners who were placed into a cave came to view the shadows on the wall as reality, even when they weren’t.

After they left the cave they were subjected to an immense dose of sunlight, or the true reality of their world.

Afterwards anyone who went back to the cave would then be too acclimated with the sun and the cave would not be seen in the same way.

It’s almost a perfect comparison to life in college.

We get in, slowly we become accustomed to life inside our own little cave, then after four years we’re thrown out into the bright day where the world we knew is enveloped in a staggeringly bright reality of the world.

Let me be clear, I’m not saying that college not being real is a mistake or intentional trap.

However, it does condition the human mind to isolate itself in a false reality from the truth.