
It's 2020- People are being forced to face issues like mental health and racism. People are coming together, acting as voices for one another.
i'm not madison, just disappointedson
Since colleges and universities have closed campuses and moved to online instruction, students face a disrupted education and an uncertain path forward. Universities ditching letter grades to adopt pass/fail grading scales, canceling commencement ceremonies, and forcing students out of the dorms have students feeling all sorts of ways. Meanwhile, high school students applying to colleges also face disadvantages between college visits have being canceled and their financial aid packages.
We have a ton of waste (literally, tons) and I'm not just talking about plastic straws or cups. I'm talking about old furniture, holiday decorations and countless other things that are thrown away on a daily basis. Once we get to the point of cleaning/de-cluttering, the only solutions are the landfill, recycling, reusing and composting, but the question is... How did we get here? Why is there so much waste?
We often get so excited and overwhelmed in our first year that we often forget that college is a business. We get so wrapped up in our classes, friends, and new way of life that we don't even care how much we're paying to live in a shoe box because our best friends live next door. However, when you're two classes short of graduating and the University is trying to hold you around for two more semesters, you're quickly reminded where their intentions lie.
In 2016, I was a senior in high school planning my next step for secondary education. I was panicked at the thought of not having chosen where I wanted to attend college, or what I wanted to study. Once I had settled on the University of Montana, things slowly started to come together and I looked forward to experiencing the UM college life.