“I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming.” If you are like most other people, you grew up watching Disney Channel shows like the The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, That’s So Raven, and Hannah Montana. When Hannah Montana really took off, the show made a movie that still you still secretly watch every once in awhile. At the same time, these good old days are the reason you still have kept up with the the stages of Miley Cyrus, through her role in The Last Song, “Wrecking Ball” glory, or even when she was a mentor on The Voice. Regardless, the Hannah Montana movie and the song, “The Climb” actually contains a message that can resonate with a lot of college students.

For most people, going to college isn’t just to be stressed out, stay up all night studying, or going crazy on the weekends. There is a higher purpose in going through all of the tough times. With that it mind, we keep a dream in our head hoping to get there eventually. At the same time, as “The Climb” points out, “There’s a voice inside my head, saying, you’ll never reach it”. Between the beginning and the end, we feel lost, confused, and unprepared for many of the tasks that lie ahead of us. Despite all of that, so many people keep going. The persistence and willingness to keep pushing on battles is something we all hope becomes a part of our core character. When you think about, “another mountain” or an “uphill battle”, it really does feel like there’s no more you can possible do at times.

The college climb is not to be underestimated. There are so many things that people don’t consider. It really is possible to be weighed down by the world if you lose that overarching focus. There are going to be times when you can’t fix things, when everything happens at once, and you want to just quit, but at these times, we can feel most accomplished when we get through it. Perspective is such a big aspect of life and a part of “The Climb”. When Miley sings, “ain’t about how fast I get there, it’s about what’s waiting on the other side,” it addresses a perspective on obstacles that can be overlooked. So often, we get caught up on where we are going, we can forget where we are. In losing sight of where you are right now, it can make getting to this “dream” that much harder.

In Hannah Montana: The Movie, one of the most notable quotes is “Life’s a climb, but the view is great.” While this may be a cheesy line, aimed to resonate with a young audience, it’s kind of true, I think. We often don’t see what we have as we are reaching for it, but in reflection, we often come more appreciative. It’s important to take notice of our blessings as they come and keep working hard to get where we hope to be. The road to getting things we truly want is never easy, but by keeping a long term perspective and by remembering where we are going, the climb may not be so bad.