Accepted, But Never Enough

I keep thinking about the day I got my acceptance letter. Everyone said I should be proud, that this was the dream. But I remember staring at the screen and feeling... nothing. Not relief, not excitement—just this hollow ache, like I’d crossed some finish line and found out there was nothing on the other side. I know not everyone gets this chance. I know how lucky I am. But sometimes I wonder if I’m just here because it’s what you’re supposed to do. Like college became the only answer, and anything else is failure. I see people building things, fixing things, starting their own paths—and I’m sitting in a lecture hall, wondering if I’m wasting years trying to prove I belong somewhere I’m not even sure I want to be. I wish someone had told me it was okay to want something different. That ambition isn’t just a diploma. That maybe the bravest thing is admitting college isn’t the only way to matter. #CollegeReality #AcademicPressure #LostInTheSystem #Education