Those Who Remain: Redefining The College Experience
Channel: Julia Poremba
Date: 2020-03-16

An ethnographic take on discovering the implications of being a long-term college student in our fast-paced world.
(See below for background on the ways in which anthropology has influenced this video.)
The process of creating this video has shown me the value of ethnography and ethnographic fieldwork. An anthropological approach has helped me in my research of this topic by revealing to me that there are so many things at play for every individual within this community, which is why it is important to view it holistically and take everything into account. My interviews revealed the ways in which economics and personal financial hardships have created the notion that college should be done in four years, as college is very expensive and many see it as a stepping stone to making money and engaging in our capitalistic society. For those who have overcome this expectation and are happy taking their time, the financial burden of doing so in a four-year university has shown them that community college is a more viable option for exploration. With that comes the negative stereotypes that those who are in community college and those who take their time face. Being viewed as unmotivated or unintelligent purely because of where you are in your educational path is harmful to those who are trying to make peace with the idea that taking their time is okay, and might allow them to better understand themselves. Taking the anthropologic approach in my assessment of this community has proven invaluable, as I have discovered the individual stories that compose this complex community. Rather than looking at only numbers and statistics, the interviews I have conducted in my ethnographic analysis have revealed a layer of depth, both in the individuals who spoke with me and also in the reality of how deeply our education system is affected by our economy.