I flew through semesters of college thinking that going to Fresno City College meant that I somehow lowered my standards in education or took a step back, but the truth is, I was wrong.

I stopped participating in college at one point because I let society predict the value of my education based of materialistic standards and rankings.

The truth is, I was pessimistic about attending a community college. Going to a community college felt like I was a complete idiot. I felt like I was attending a slightly bigger high school with yet still familiar faces. My campus was not as prestigious as Harvard, so somehow that meant I was below everyone else.

My senior year of high school, all of my friends were picking their dream schools, getting acceptance letters to big universities, and I was getting an acceptance letter from good old FCC.

Sure, I had dream schools in mind, but my colleges of choice came with money, and by money, I mean lots. Whether I had the grades or not, I did not have scholarships or financial aid to pay my way through school. I did not have parents who had a college fund or an extra couple thousand laying around for me. So it was FCC or nothing.

I treated college like high school because that is what society had made me believe was the equivalent. Therefore my negative attitude, resulted in my not so positive grades.

I realized a year and half had gone by and I felt like I was still in the same place as the first day of college. A student education plan? What the heck is that? A tutor? That was for losers. Yet somehow, they were on the right path to graduate and I was failing and taking classes that were not even transferable.I wasted a year and half of not just my money, but most importantly my time.

So before I knew it, I went to my FCC counselor full of remorse ready for an SEP plan. I went to administration and records and filled out elevation slips to boost my GPA. I went to tutors and I begged for help. I spoke up in class. I got to class on time. I took notes, and not just doodles, I took real college student notes. I attended study groups and made flash cards. I got organized, but most of all, I became mindful of how lucky I was to have an education.

Not because I necessarily got comfortable, but because I found the beauty in this school. I took the time to admire the character in these buildings, the people who paved the way and created conversations to build this schools foundation and strive for better resources.

I built relationships with my professors, and found long-time mentors in them. I stepped out of my comfort zone and I joined clubs, I took action to be a leader in a community college, rather than a follower.

As I continue my education at Fresno State Spring 2018, I just wish someone would have told me to be more patient, observant, and appreciative of my education here at FCC.

FCC is not just a community college, it is a safe space that allows you the same general education as a few more thousand dollars in debt would. Community college is what you make it, and I made it my safe place.