But what happens when the real experience of college doesn’t live up to this utopian vision? For me, the flood of opportunities available at Smith feels overwhelming. Knowing that my four years at Smith are the biggest investment of my life, and that I’m paying for more resources than I could possibly take advantage of, results in a feeling of failure and despair. All of Smith’s incredible resources and beautiful facilities (which I see as the result of a climate in which colleges must appear not just functional but lavish in order to compete) explain our school’s cripplingly high tuition. Our school’s high tuition then puts an immense pressure on me to feel like I am having a college experience that is worth all that.
