How does my college experience set the course for the rest of my life?

How does my college experience set the course for the rest of my life? Was college as transformational and affirming for me as it was for Ta-Nehisi Coates? I find myself continually asking this question when I read over this passage of the book. I attended a predominately white institution, in many ways far removed from the “Black Mecca” that Coates experienced at Howard. However, my time in college absolutely helped to solidify and set the course for the rest of my life. In some ways my thoughts about the world and my place in it were affirmed by my institution. In other ways I was challenged to solidify and sort out what I believed about reality. It wasn’t always comfortable and it certainly wasn’t easy. The pursuit of knowledge and the experiences anyone embraces during their tenure in school are a portal to greater discovery. Which of your ideas are you willing to see challenged, and which ideas do you hope will be affirmed? How will you respond when you find yourself in that moment of having to decide what will define who you are moving forward?