The debates are heating up and candidates are becoming more recognized as the 2016 presidential election slowly unfolds. It is now, more than ever, that college students should be paying attention to the race for presidency.
So, why watch?
You can learn a lot about the world.
Following the presidential race, watching the debates, and listening to the campaign speeches can teach you a lot about the world we live in. It can introduce you to issues our country is facing and obstacles we have overcome that you may not have been aware of. It can spark curiosity in you to discover more about our country or even the world’s issues for that matter. You can never learn too much about what is happening in the world, and watching the presidential elections is great way to start.
You develop a political opinion.
Learning about the issues our nation faces and how each candidate plans to deal with them allows you to formulate a political stance of your own. You’ll become exposed to varying viewpoints on different topics, some of which may change your way of thinking. You’ll find yourself clapping your hands or shaking your head during debates and actually getting excited when you find a candidate that seems promising. Who knows, you might even get to debate with your parents and prove to them that you actually do know everything.
It gives you a voice.
Voting in an election for presidency is honestly one of the coolest things you can do.  All of the policies that you wish to change or all of the qualities you want our president to have, you can decide! You can have a say in our country’s future and have the opportunity to pick the man or woman to lead us there. The presidential elections are an exciting time that you get to be a part of and the more you educate yourself on what’s happening, the more exciting it gets.
But, we get it. Being in college means being constantly busy. Whether you’re staying up until 1am finishing a paper or taking a much-needed study break with friends, watching the news is most likely very low, or perhaps non-existent, on your to-do list. It’s a near forgotten, yet extremely important activity. So watch the news, stay updated. Or if you can’t watch, go online for the latest headlines. Download a news app that you can quickly check between classes or in the mornings. It may not seem like a huge deal, since eventually we all end up hearing about the major events, but staying informed can benefit you in endless ways.