This all started because I've been hearing rumors spread about me by people down at school. Well, not exactly rumors, but slightly fact-based "stories". And I thought, "Wow, I'm so glad I'm not in that world anymore. What petty people, to talk about someone who is not there, and (in some cases) who is not even a part of their lives anymore. I'm so glad that I'm out here in the real world, so I don't have to deal with stuff like that." But I wonder, how is it in the real world. Over Christmas, I talked with my cousin's fiancee, who kind of recently entered the "real world" herself. She is a major cynic, warning me about the dangers of trusting anybody at any job I take, that I'm sure to get back-stabbed, and that I should keep a record of everything I do, in case somebody wants to screw me over. I understand that there are probably places that are like this, but maybe I've found a place that's not. Granted, I'm working with many former military officers, some of whom hardly look at women as real people, so who knows how I'll be treated in the long run. But am I so naive as to think that if I do a good job at things, then I'll be properly rewarded in my job? But I digress, somewhat.
I guess the real issue I have is not with work, but with real people. Friends and the like. Being a sorority girl, I understand what backstabbing and talking behind other people's backs is all about. But sometimes things get vicious and ugly in college. I'm not saying that I'm perfect and I'm above any of this nastiness, but being on the outside looking in, I think I see things from a different perspective. College life really is different from the real world. We lived in a little protected environment for however long we were there, and we were invincible. I went to William and Mary, which I thought put me so much above so many people. The only problem with that is that so many people at William and Mary have this opinion of themselves. They think they are God's gift to this planet, they get swelled heads, and they think they are better than other people. I'm really not talking about anyone specifically here, because I've also seen it from the reverse side. That is, where W&M beats you down so much that you feel like you are no good, that everyone else is better than you, and that you will never amount to anything. I've seen it happen to friends of mine, and I occasionally let it happen to me. But I stuck it out. Not everyone does.
How else is college different from the real world? Well, it's funny. The other day, I was sitting at my desk, listening to some people talking in the lunchroom. I don't remember what they were talking about, but it involved some man one of the women was dating. All of a sudden, I hear one of them call her voicemail, so her friends could hear what the guy sounded like. I thought, "How many times did I do that in my college career?" Way too many. And how many times, after I'd gotten my heart broken, did I go through my voice mail and erase the messages from HIM, so I wouldn't have to hear his voice again? That's what made me wonder if college is different from the life I'm in now.
As you can see, I haven't really come to any conclusions as far as this is concerned. It's still something I'm running around in my head. Perhaps I haven't been in the real world long enough to come up with an answer to this question. But I know that William and Mary is NOT like the real world. We've seen it here many many times. I've experienced it in my life many many times. At least I hope that William and Mary is not like the real world. I went through some hellish times there. But I also had some of the best times of my life there, and made friends that I hope to keep forever. But I've seen what it does to people, and I know what it can turn them into, and that's what makes me hope that the real world is as different as possible.
Wow, when I started writing, I didn't mean to get so down on the College. It's hard to explain though, unless you've experienced it. And boy, have I. And I know lots of people out there who really enjoyed their experience. I'm kind of ambivalent. I'm just glad I survived.
erica
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