The best learning is often times done beyond the four walls of a classroom, past the comfort of a campus, and with unfamiliar people who can challenge your stagnant perspectives. A field trip has the potential to serve as a breath of fresh air, a taste of diversity, and a vision of life after high school.

On Nov. 2 I had the opportunity to attend the 76 annual Fall Conference, presented by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association on Columbia University’s Morningside Heights Campus in upper Manhattan. Although this was my second year at this specific conference and there were overlapping speakers and sessions, there was an abundance of new seminars brimming with fresh ideas. Among the speakers were Michael Lydon, Chris Wavgaman, Robert Greenman, and Helen F. Smith. I attended sessions covering how to write about pop music, empathy and the key to great storytelling, teenagers’ mental health, page design, and sensory details.

This field trip, however, was more than a typical field trip. It served as a sampling of college that we are unable to experience by simply visiting the campus or even staying with an athletic team overnight. It was an example of the fundamental aspect of college: academics. I had the opportunity to select an hourly session and then use a map to maneuver throughout the campus, buildings, and NYC.

There was an almost tangible sense of independence that came along with the freedom of creating and following the schedule, as well as sitting in classrooms full of students who attend schools hundreds of miles away, all listening to an expert share their passion. The trip represented the environment that we seniors will find ourselves in in less than a year, and illustrated the endless learning opportunities that will be at our fingertips.