As student journalists, those of us at The Daily Eastern News are taught not to make assumptions.

If something is unclear, we ask questions to clarify what is meant. If we do not know something, we ask.

This idea should not only be a guideline for journalism, but for people’s’ daily lives as well.

It is always easy to assume things work a certain way or that doing certain things is “easy” because we have not been through the process of doing them ourselves.

Oftentimes, people will make harmful assumptions based on nothing more than ignorance or a lack of knowledge of the issue at hand.

In Monday’s immigration panel, several audience members brought up the fact that many people will often tell undocumented immigrants to “just get a Green Card.”

However, as seen in the article about the panel, it often takes thousands of dollars and much time to get the documentation and papers needed.

This gives unnecessary and stressful barriers to students who are just trying to stay in the place they call “home.”

It is commendable that even after all of that, both students on the panel are still working toward their citizenship.

This is why it is important to never assume you know the right course of action for any individual, or the struggle they are going through.

It is easy to tell undocumented immigrants to ‘just become a citizen’ if you were born here and have never had to go through the citizenship process.

While some social issues or problems might seem like they are easy to solve, there are many nuances and sometimes, invisible barriers that do not allow for easy solutions.

Just reading about these issues in the news or watching someone talk about them on TV does not mean you are an expert.

These issues affect real people, and as such, everyone’s experiences are going to be different.

No one goes through things like immigration the same, and it is crazy to suggest the same blanket solution to all of them.

This is why it is always important to ask questions and make sure to know what you are talking about before you say it.

Not only does it make you look smarter, but it also allows you to be more compassionate with those around you.

Take some time, and really learn about the issues of today, before judging how someone else handles them.