NINA BANKS
campus editor
nina.banks@my.tccd.edu 

I suffer from a chronic condition. It can be debilitating, and there is no cure. It’s a disease myself and so many suffer from. The name is abbreviated to FOMO, but stands for the fear of missing out.

Although community college provides cheap education and free resources, it often lacks in its social scene. If a party scene does exist, it’s almost impossible to find. For prospective students, often the party scene is a major pull factor to the college or university. 

Since many community college students go through financial problems, they often work one or several jobs aside from attending school or are parents. This coupled with the little to no access to the social scene, partying is often an experience missed out on. 

Television and movies seldom show students studying, and rather focus on frat parties and the social scenes. This portrayal has associated university with ragers, keg stands and promiscuous activity. Though exaggerated, those scenes are somewhat based in truth and events such as those exist. 

I recall the first few months of college watching my former classmates’ stories attending massive parties with strobe lights, loud, unintelligible music and the iconic red cup, comparable to the movies. The very sight gave me the worst case of FOMO I have ever experienced.

The banquets and dances I attended in high school played clean versions of songs, and the punch bowls were definitely not spiked. The closest thing to drugs were the freshmen getting a sugar high off the sour straws the PTA sold. 

However, I recently experienced my first semblance of a college party. And while my friends discussed their experiences at university, I had an epiphany — it doesn’t even sound that much fun. 

Perhaps I had gotten so wrapped up in what I believed the college experience to be that I didn’t even think to consider if that would even be enjoyable for myself.

I assumed as soon as I enrolled into college that some dormant gene would activate that would turn me into a “Euphoria” character. But I don’t feel the urge to seek parties and am actually content in my current routine with school and work. Despite my assumption, being in college doesn’t mean you have to go to parties. The societal or self-imposed expectations placed upon a certain stage of life are not guidelines on how to live. 

Once I transfer to a university, I anticipate that I will go to parties and enjoy the experience. But for now, there is no rush to feel like I must go and participate in that facet of college life. Until then, you can find me frustrated while decorating an apartment in the Sims because I can’t find a cohesive color palette.