“In like a lion, out like a lamb.” As March twilights, I have found myself thinking of this proverb daily. The bitter cold we braved has finally subsided, and in its place the grass has grown green as the trees are filled with buds. March is the month we welcome with turbulent winter weather, knowing by the end it will thaw into a pleasant spring.
Not limited to weather, this expression can be applied to the extent of one’s college career. For freshman students, all aspects of going to university are entirely new. New place to live, new people to meet, new things to learn. Just as a lion begins a hunt, young students venture into the unknown to find what they need. College brings an entire shift of existence that is exciting but simultaneously drives feelings of disruption and uncertainty. Over the years, it is the hope that college experiences will help students develop into authentic and educated versions of themselves.
With my senior year at Wittenberg lasting only a few weeks more, the reflection on “in like a lion, out like a lamb” is ever present. The past four years have brought change for both the university and me. Wittenberg made changes to academics, faculty and staff, and even hired a new president. I came to Wittenberg as a political science major who had never been involved in clubs in high school; I am graduating as an economics major who led multiple organizations. By seizing the opportunities to grow and explore my interests, I have learned about who I am and who I want to become.
On a campus like Wittenberg, students can be a big fish in a small pond. The pressure of competing with thousands of students, like at large public institutions, for a certain class, research assistantship, or club, is not there. At Wittenberg, students can curate a path to help them in their future.
There is no debate that graduating college is a way to increase the likelihood of securing a job. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those with a bachelor's degree have a 2.5% unemployment rate, while those who have only a high school diploma have a 4.2% unemployment rate. For many, myself included, the stability promised from a college education is reason enough to go. However, after spending four years getting a liberal arts education, I have learned there is even more to gain than career aspirations.
It is a privilege to be able to think and grow in the manner a college education provides. Spending time developing not only what students know, but the entire manner in which they think. To be selective both in how time is spent and with whom. Achieving goals and good course grades builds the confidence of students and lulls feelings of self-doubt. After completing an education like the one Wittenberg provides, students can go into the world able to think for themselves and are transformed, making their way “out like a lamb.”
