What was your college experience like?

[Jgib5328]

For me it has fluctuated from being awful to being ok. When I first came to college, I was very optimistic, "Oh I'm going to make so many friends. I'm going to get all A's". Then during orientation week, I realized how difficult it was to make friends during college. I'd sit and try to meet people, but we'd just have lunch together for one time and then I'd never see them again. If I did see them I probably didn't even recognize them. I was sort of lost that week, it seemed that everyone was making friends and new each other and I didn't. I did however join the debate team, and made some acquaintances there.

After school had officially started, I realized that I probably wouldn't have many friends, probably because I wasn't willing to be outgoing enough and because I don't drink. So I decided to focus full throttle on school. I had the aspiration of getting all A's in college and I fully believed that I could do it every semester. I was relatively close my first semester. I pulled off an A-, 2 B+s, and a B. Not bad, wasn't up to my expectations, but I mean it's nothing to cry about.

The semester after that, it was pretty much all academic. I decided to take the Intermediate Microeconomics Honors course, which is the most difficult econ course in my school. It was torture. The material was so difficult and I often had feelings of inadequacy for not being able to full grasp it, but I was still middle of the pack in that course, so it wasn't too bad. But I just remember how awful it felt not being able to figure some of the stuff out. That semester was really depressing. I had so much school work, that I had absolutely no free time. The semester didn't end too poorly though, 2 A-s, 1 B+, and 2 Bs.

I went into my first semester sophomore year with optimism. It was a fresh new start and I was free from my horrid roommate from the year before. So I go into sophomore year with the exact same expectations as the year before. Of course they aren't met. I ended up overloading for my courses and took a lot of hard ones. My second Honor's econ was possibly worse than the first one and my linear algebra class was just bugging me. This semester was probably the same as last, but slightly worse because the academic side was horrible. I ended up doing my worst in my entire college career, I got 1 B+, 2 Bs, and 1 B-. I felt like a complete failure and beat myself up about it for awhile. So this semester was kinda shitty, but on the bright side, I did make a few more friends.

This current semester, my second semester of my sophomore year has been much better. I have a lot easier course load and more enjoyable classes. Over the winter break I read 3 books on becoming more efficent with your study habits and that has had great effects so far. I also have the most free time ever in a semester, even more than my first semester freshman year. I'm now able to do things that I want to do, like reading books, watching tv shows, movies, video games etc. I have made a few more friends too. This semester isn't even over yet and isn't half way done, so who knows what will happen. But so far the prospects look good.

So anyways, how was your college experience? As you can see from mine, it was filled with a lot of stress and not many friends.

[pavman]

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I found every year got easier. By my senior year, I was master of everything.

Personally, once I moved out of the dorms (after setting up a network of friends), got a part-time job, and started biking everywhere, things were much easier. Of course, I didn't do this until my senior year (but there were factors here...mainly that my mother didn't think I should move out, as my brother had done the same 4 years before and had racked up a lot of debt).

Realize that GPA isn't everything, and matters very little 10 years out from when you graduated. It seems to only help when you first start out or when you are trying to get into grad school, and have 0 experience.

But strive to do your best. Like your credit score, its really hard to pull your GPA back up if it slides too much. :thumbsdown:

And enjoy college and the experience. I think one of my favorite times in life was when I was in college. :thumbsup:

[ElstonGunn]

So anyways, how was your college experience?

It sucked and I hated it. Generally speaking, the classes were pointless, the people were annoying, and a lot of time was wasted. It was one of the biggest factors in my development into a surly misanthrope.

[Jgib5328]

It sucked and I hated it. Generally speaking, the classes were pointless, the people were annoying, and a lot of time was wasted. It was one of the biggest factors in my development into a surly misanthrope.

I've been increasingly misanthropic since my senior year of high school, college has only increased this pace.

[HarleyQuinn]

I found that over the years, school became easier. Freshman year was great (aside from roommate issues) and everything came relatively easy.

I found that the most difficult thing was taking classes that I had no interest in and really struggling with them (Intro to Math freshman year, Science labs) but Junior and Senior year I've kind of 'got it' as far as making classes fun for myself. I've learned to be creative about papers in terms of trying to orient them towards my own interests (i.e. a research paper about The Comics Code Authority in Mass Media) and stocking up on English classes for this final semester of college.

While I know a lot of kids around campus thanks to having classes with them multiple years, I'm still quite introverted although I try not to display that in the classroom. One of the biggest positives about college has been the teachers and the experience/relationships I've built because of them. There are a few teachers that I've had 3-4 classes with simply because they are fun and teach in the department I major in.

My proudest moment was two years ago, there was a creative writing class I was in (CW I) and a teacher came in to basically "perform" for the college committee in an effort to get a job. I remember we had an instant rapport and I think I was one of maybe 3-4 students (of 12-13) answering her questions. We filled out a survey and she got the job :) Since then, I've taken 3 classes with her and while difficult (in the complaining/cursing way) and a little offbeat, they've definitely been interesting.

I also got really lucky acquiring an on campus job freshman year in October that I've held all 4 years. It not only displays experience for my resume but it shows I can work a job multiple years (and it helped with financing for tuition).

The only complaint about Colby-Sawyer is how demanding it can be with 5 or (in my case with the Capstone during Senior year) 6 courses a semester in comparison to other colleges that only have 4 courses a semester. At the same time though, I've been able to take classes that I may not have been able to get into with a smaller schedule so I'm lucky that way too. Sociology courses in particular along with a variety of English courses.

[Jgib5328]

I found that over the years, school became easier. Freshman year was great (aside from roommate issues) and everything came relatively easy.

I found that the most difficult thing was taking classes that I had no interest in and really struggling with them (Intro to Math freshman year, Science labs) but Junior and Senior year I've kind of 'got it' as far as making classes fun for myself. I've learned to be creative about papers in terms of trying to orient them towards my own interests (i.e. a research paper about The Comics Code Authority in Mass Media) and stocking up on English classes for this final semester of college.

While I know a lot of kids around campus thanks to having classes with them multiple years, I'm still quite introverted although I try not to display that in the classroom. One of the biggest positives about college has been the teachers and the experience/relationships I've built because of them. There are a few teachers that I've had 3-4 classes with simply because they are fun and teach in the department I major in.

My proudest moment was two years ago, there was a creative writing class I was in (CW I) and a teacher came in to basically "perform" for the college committee in an effort to get a job. I remember we had an instant rapport and I think I was one of maybe 3-4 students (of 12-13) answering her questions. We filled out a survey and she got the job :) Since then, I've taken 3 classes with her and while difficult (in the complaining/cursing way) and a little offbeat, they've definitely been interesting.

I also got really lucky acquiring an on campus job freshman year in October that I've held all 4 years. It not only displays experience for my resume but it shows I can work a job multiple years (and it helped with financing for tuition).

The only complaint about Colby-Sawyer is how demanding it can be with 5 or (in my case with the Capstone during Senior year) 6 courses a semester in comparison to other colleges that only have 4 courses a semester. At the same time though, I've been able to take classes that I may not have been able to get into with a smaller schedule so I'm lucky that way too. Sociology courses in particular along with a variety of English courses.

Good story, what's the normal amount of classes you take at Colby? Here at the UR most people take 4, 5 is considered a lot, 6 is for the masochists. I've taken 5 before and this semester I have 4 and so much free time, so I'll probably go back to 5 again.

[coffeeloverfreak]

I loved college (cegep), liked university when I wasn't busy fighting the political neophytes that took over my campus, and overall managed to make a good core group of friends despite being a classic straight-A overachiever. Getting out of high school turned my life around (high school sucked) and I had an overall good experience. Sure, there were some boring classes, asshat profs, idiot group members who didn't pull their weight, exam stresses... all part of the process, though.

[thod]

I found early in the first year that attending lectures was a pointless waste of time. I would sit there along with 100 others while some guy wrote equations on the board. If you don't understand something you cant stop him since there are so many others listening, any questions are a no go. So I would sit there and get lost at some point and then the rest of the time was over my head. However I found that reading the book explained it clearly and so I stopped going to lectures, I didn't hand in assignments etc since I was never there.

I was a champion socialite though. I would sleep in till noon everyday. I would spend my evenings in the bars then off to a party in someones room. I drank huge quantities of beer and did lots of drugs. I knew hundreds of people. I could walk into the bar and spend hours saying hello to people. I had lots of shallow and meaningless sexual encounters. I played sports several evenings a week too, before hitting the bar.

I guess I was extrovert in those days. When term ended and I was all alone I hated it. I was so used to being surrounded by people at all times. I would actualy go sit in the coffee bar all day and chat. I knew everyone so there was always lots of company.

About a month before the exams I would photocopy that lecture notes and buy the course books. I would then ram into my brain everything I needed to know. A month was all it took me to do enough to pass, if not well but pass. I was screwed for doing well since 30% of the marks were on the assignments I never did. I passed every single course. I got a note asking me to go in and see my tutor during the first term of my second year. I found it 6 months later, which is when I next went into the department. I went to see him to find he was going to bite my head of. By that time I had passed every single exam for that year. So we just had a few words and I continued on. I got a decent degree but nothing special.

College is not about academic success. Its about living with thousands of other young people. You learn more from them than you ever will from a book. I read books now, the books are still there. I can never recapture the life I had back then though. It is a huge waste to spend your college days studying.

Some people are dumb and need to study all the time. I was lucky and reading it once was enough to understand and bit longer to put memories into short term memory. The advantage of a physics degree is you are right or wrong. I don't have to concur with the tutors opinions since there is no subjectivity. When that paper is put in front of you then you recognize it, replay the rote stuff and derive whats asked from it.

I had the advantage that it cost me nothing. Not only was the education free, but I was given a grant to go do it. Certainly the best years of my life. Work is a dull grind with anal people all trying to outdo each other to become the boss. All you get for being the boss is more work which is the exact opposite of what I want. I find life is rich enough with more things to spend my time on than I have time. I don't want to narrow myself that much. I have done OK, never been CEO but never wanted to be either, having seen what that means. As a freelancer I have worked in small 2 man outfits, the biggest banks in the city, the large corporates etc. I have seen all that there is to offer out there and so am happy. I am thinking of retraining to be a plumber or something next. Am bored of all the intellectual consultancy stuff.

[HarleyQuinn]

Good story, what's the normal amount of classes you take at Colby? Here at the UR most people take 4, 5 is considered a lot, 6 is for the masochists. I've taken 5 before and this semester I have 4 and so much free time, so I'll probably go back to 5 again.Thanks. The required normal course load is 5 per semester (10 per year). Depending on things like "Pathway Seminars" or the Senior Year "Capstone" you will essentially have 6 classes a semester/12 a year.

I came from a high school with 7 classes per week (usually twice a week) so I was able to transition to the college schedule pretty smoothly.

Each class is (usually) worth 3 credits so that's 18 credits per semester (36 per year). So roughly 144 credits by the time you graduate.

And Colby-Sawyer's a different college from Colby (just wanted to make clear in case there was some confusion). It used to be a woman's college but is now a co-ed liberal arts school.

[Jgib5328]

Thanks. The required normal course load is 5 per semester (10 per year). Depending on things like "Pathway Seminars" or the Senior Year "Capstone" you will essentially have 6 classes a semester/12 a year.

I came from a high school with 7 classes per week (usually twice a week) so I was able to transition to the college schedule pretty smoothly.

Each class is (usually) worth 3 credits so that's 18 credits per semester (36 per year). So roughly 144 credits by the time you graduate.

And Colby-Sawyer's a different college from Colby (just wanted to make clear in case there was some confusion). It used to be a woman's college but is now a co-ed liberal arts school.

I wonder if like one of my classes here equals 5/4 at a school which requires a minimum of 5 (I don't mean like in some kind of superior/inferior thing, just in overall workload) . 1 course generally equals 4-6 credits here. Wait actually according to your credit system I guess it'd be 4/3 since mine are typically 4 credit courses. Oh yeah I just said Colby for short, since it's easier to type that than Colby-Sawyer.

[Pinkie]

I love it. I feel like I belong here, I suppose, because my department's intellectually alive and, therefore, wonderful. I like the modules I've chosen (this semester - Structure of Arabic, Introduction to Cross-Linguistic Syntax, Introduction to Old English) and I did better than I thought I would in my semester one exams. I have a wicked set of good friends and I ignore everyone else. It's great!

[Zilal]

The first time I went to college, well. There are a couple ways of describing it. I remember the experience as good though I was miserable most of the time... I was in a deep depression (which eventually resulted in my dropping out). So I wasn't really capable of enjoying a lot. But there were many things I appreciated, such as:

The cafeterias (people making food FOR ME at every meal!)
Communal living (my dorm kind of sucked, but it was nice having people around)
Not having to go to class (unlike high school)
All the clubs and other activities

I still like those things, but can't take much advantage of them now as a commuting student. My appreciation of college is very different now but I think it's richer. I like:

Just being in class or doing classwork
Finding myself much smarter than I was 10 years ago
Finding doors opening for me because of my surprising performance
Feeling like I'm actually growing or developing etc.
Finally getting to learn more advanced material (I never got to that stage the last time I was in school)

Despite the fact that I'm surrounded by people who are 10 years younger than me, I feel like I've sort of hit the jackpot in terms of life experiences, mostly because of the odd performance my brain has put up. I really wasn't this smart a decade ago, nor did I particularly like school. I don't know what happened and it's come totally unexpected to me to be doing so well and to have the attention of so many people who can provide me with scholarships, research opportunities, etc. It's like I walked into somebody else's life by accident.

[Jgib5328]

A lot of you guys are lucky, although I am starting to like college more now, since I have more free time.

[searcheagle]

I wish I could have stayed in college for another 10 years. I began attending a mid-sized State University in Pennsylvania in 2003 and graduated in 2006 with a four year degree. (I transfered in with a year's worth of credits taken in HS.)

At the school, I was part of the Honors program, where I meet 4 other people that were similar to myself. College allowed me an opportunity to do the activities that I wanted to do, if I wanted too. However, it also allowed me the opportunity to skip out of any of those activities. It allowed me the time to pursue any academic or unacademic activity I wanted to. I liked to the academic exploration of college and like about 90% of my classes. I used a professor rating site to determine whether the profs would be interesting or not. As a result, I attended 99% of my classes.

[bubbles]

I'm still in my first year of college. If I can describe it succinctly in one word, I would say that it "sucks." I go to a huge state university. Last quarter, I thought my classes were too easy; I hardly did any studying and got a decent GPA, so I was naive enough to sign up for five math/science/engineering classes. "Free time" now means that I'm wasting valuable time doing stuff not related to coursework and is inversely correlated with GPA. Well, at least I'm learning time management and building work ethics, so it's not a total loss.





bubbles added to this post, 3 minutes and 21 seconds later...

For me it has fluctuated from being awful to being ok. When I first came to college, I was very optimistic, "Oh I'm going to make so many friends. I'm going to get all A's". Then during orientation week, I realized how difficult it was to make friends during college. I'd sit and try to meet people, but we'd just have lunch together for one time and then I'd never see them again. If I did see them I probably didn't even recognize them. I was sort of lost that week, it seemed that everyone was making friends and new each other and I didn't. I did however join the debate team, and made some acquaintances there.

I felt the same way when I first came to college. I also have a very hard time remembering people's names and faces so I see them once, talk to them, and never see them again.

[lordrrr]

I love it. I feel like I belong here, I suppose, because my department's intellectually alive and, therefore, wonderful. I like the modules I've chosen (this semester - Structure of Arabic, Introduction to Cross-Linguistic Syntax, Introduction to Old English) and I did better than I thought I would in my semester one exams. I have a wicked set of good friends and I ignore everyone else. It's great!


Whoah, where do you go?

[Pinkie]

Newcastle University, in England ^__^

(my school website) (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.)

[Zilal]

I've experienced a big transition since I went back to school a couple years ago. I went in thinking I just needed to get a degree so I could get a job I didn't hate and make enough to be able to afford a winter coat. But after hearing "You'll want to go on to grad school" and "When you go for your PhD..." so many times, my reaction has gone from "Yeah, whatever" to basically assuming, until something proves to me otherwise, that I'll be in school for another decade. I am starting to settle into this. I kept thinking I had to blow through it so I could get back to the real world and make money. Now I'm thinking... why?

[AgentofGaming]

My experience in post-secondary thus far is crappy.

Now to begin this I start with my academic habits. In elementary and high school, there were 2 components to my life school & computer games.
When the homework was done, it was all computer games. Never studied, probably still can't.

Now my final years of high school, moved once from a school where I had friends to a place I knew no one, my average dropped by 15%. I couldn't adapt, and I was a loner there.

Then I somehow got admitted to Computer Engineering with the lowest average entering. Oh and I found out they weren't joking about it being "challenging".
Orientation:
Orientation comprised of walking till my feet hurt and doing stupid things like human pyramids and leap-frogging across busy downtown streets and social games like make someone laugh and take their spot (I HATE THAT GAME). The first thing I wanted to do was get the hell out of there. I met some guys, they were from other disciplines, I never talked to them again after.

First Year:
There were about 400+ish combined Electrical and Computer Engineers. I met a dozen people, and a good friend (thank goodness). We enjoyed our times by doing impossible problem sets and failing tests together. Then let them bellcurve us all back up. The homework questions had impossible to do ones, that you can waste your time on. Also they gave so much that no one could ever do it all. So what little time I had left playing computer games.
I also spent the whole exam week playing computer games, and never studied.
I passed perfectly fine with all my C's and D's above average by a little, while a lot of my friends failed and went on probation, repeat, etc. and my good friend I met transferred to another university.
Programming and Calculus are my saviours at B.

Second Year:
300ish students now, (includes about 20ish transfers in from a tougher engineering program)
I go back to school, I don't know everybody, everyone I knew is gone and those still there have an eerily no association feel about them. I eat lunch alone every day now. I stopped playing computer games and I procrastinate on forums and try to do some work.
Still first semester I got like a 3% higher average, I got A- in Digital logic. I felt I failed all those exams in first semester, I bet they bellcurved everyone up.
Our foundations are crappy, we are void of skill set but they still boost us and let us go on. Oh and after 20 core courses we can now pick our own they also force us to take some humanties/social science at least once a term for the next two years.

So conclusion as of now, everything needs more effort (except for Computer Organization) and I have become more of a loner than I ever have been. 30+ hours lectures/labs/tutorials week. Probably an equal amount in homework.

[integratedvelocity]

I have completed my first semester of college. I love it and hate it. I am very intelligent, did great on my standardized tests, etc, but so did everyone else here (though some of the football players...). I like being away from home and taking interesting classes, but the pressure to succeed is enormous. There are a few classes at my college that have the curves raised to get enough people in the B and C range. In other words, everyone is getting a 90%, so they make an A- 92 or 93% and up. Granted, it is almost impossible to get a C, so maybe we're compensated.

Also, I meet people who were in the top ten in international chemistry/physics/math competitions, etc. This is very exciting, but also somewhat daunting. 'I'm such an idiot, I'm only taking multivariable calculus!'

Something else frustrating is the sense of entitlement some of my classmates have. One girl said that she didn't need to worry about applying for internships because her dad has a friend who is head of *some really big city hospital*. They think nothing of flying out to Spain or Switzerland for a week over spring break or flying across the country whenever we have a three-day weekend. I don't begrudge them the ability to go home, but they have no concept of how the average college student lives.

Something internal I have had to pay attention to is my motivation. A huge number of people here major in economics and go into finance, working at Goldman-Sachs, etc. I like economics and will probably concentrate in it, but I don't want to end up choosing a career because starting salary is $150,000 per year. With so many others doing this, it is very tempting.

[Jgib5328]

I have completely my first semester of college. I love it and hate it. I am very intelligent, did great on my standardized tests, etc, but so did everyone else here (though some of the football players...). I like being away from home and taking interesting classes, but the pressure to succeed is enormous. There are a few classes at my college that have the curves raised to get enough people in the B and C range. In other words, everyone is getting a 90%, so they make an A- 92 or 93% and up. Granted, it is almost impossible to get a C, so maybe we're compensated.

Also, I meet people who were in the top ten in international chemistry/physics/math competitions, etc. This is very exciting, but also somewhat daunting. 'I'm such an idiot, I'm only taking multivariable calculus!'

Something else frustrating is the sense of entitlement some of my classmates have. One girl said that she didn't need to worry about applying for internships because her dad has a friend who is head of *some really big city hospital*. They think nothing of flying out to Spain or Switzerland for a week over spring break or flying across the country whenever we have a three-day weekend. I don't begrudge them the ability to go home, but they have no concept of how the average college student lives.

Something internal I have had to pay attention to is my motivation. A huge number of people here major in economics and go into finance, working at Goldman-Sachs, etc. I like economics and will probably concentrate in it, but I don't want to end up choosing a career because starting salary is $150,000 per year. With so many others doing this, it is very tempting.


My school is kinda like that, most of the kids are all really talented and smart and are pretty much all upper class. I'm assuming you go to an Ivy since you are talking about Goldman because they recruit from all of the Ivies and based on how you describe the students.

I'm also majoring in Economics (Financial Economics) and plan on being an I-Banker, although I know it's really competitive. Oh well, it just makes me want to work harder for it.

[Aoiluna]

Im currently in my second semester of college and have mixed feelings about it. I like the college life of choosing your classes and being able to skip them. I go to a small liberal arts college and I like walking to classes and having less than 20 students in a class with me ( on average).

However, even though my school is regionally credited I dont feel challenged enough which is why my grades are not where they should be. I love almost everything about this school except for my classes that pertain to my major...go figure. And some of the profs dont know what theyre talking about. I had a Bio teacher who couldnt do a punnet square of 2 heterozygous pea plants. I had mine done before she could even figure out the gametes. *rolls eyes*

So yes, im a bit flustered and hope that it gets better.

[Jerry]

I'm going right now. IT'S GARBAGE!!! The textbooks are a waste (I could just use the internet.) I haven't learned a damn thing. It's a bunch of liberal crap. But hey at least I got a 4.0!

[WavesSootheMe]

I really miss college. I've just applied to return for graduate school, but I know it won't be the same at all. I loved the freshman dorms (despite my awful roommate). There were so many interesting characters. I joined a sorority, which I never thought I'd do, but I did it my own way and am very glad for the experience. I double majored in Biological Sciences and Psychology at a large, well-ranked school. I was able to continue dancing, playing music, volunteering, choreographing, etc. I spent a year studying abroad in France (absolutely worth breaking up with my bf of three years, going into debt and taking 5 years to graduate). It took me a while to balance everything out. I had my bad semesters and my amazing semesters grade-wise, but in the end the experience overall was worth it and my GPA is still high enough to get into a great graduate program.

I work one on one with students now, so my day is scheduled down to the minute. I hate not having control over my schedule or the students I work with, and I really miss the option to just sleep through a course when I really need a break (in all honesty I'm a bad employee that takes a day out sick to just have a weekday to myself when needed). Perhaps after earning my higher degree and getting into a position with more freedom, I won't miss college so much, but for now I do.

I tell my roommate, who is now in her 7th year of undergrad work, "Stay in as long as you can and get the most out of it. You can go back later, but it won't be the same."

[searcheagle]

I've experienced a big transition since I went back to school a couple years ago. I went in thinking I just needed to get a degree so I could get a job I didn't hate and make enough to be able to afford a winter coat. But after hearing "You'll want to go on to grad school" and "When you go for your PhD..." so many times, my reaction has gone from "Yeah, whatever" to basically assuming, until something proves to me otherwise, that I'll be in school for another decade. I am starting to settle into this. I kept thinking I had to blow through it so I could get back to the real world and make money. Now I'm thinking... why?

What are you taking? What are you going to school for?

Unless you are planning to go to Medical or Law school, Grad schools aren't necessary right after graduation. I liked college and I graduated in 2006. I plan to return for a grad degree in a couple years. Business Schools like for grad students to get a couple years of experience under their belts prior to getting an MBA.

[SeaCzar]

I LOVED college. It was the best time of my life. I was completely independent. There were no pressures, restrictions or responsibilities. My college roomate is still my best friend. I did very well in almost all of my classes, and actually had somewhat of a social life. Except for the professors, you can choose whom to interact with, and on what terms. Trust me when I tell you that the drudgery begins when you enter the real world, with all sorts of pressures, restrictions or responsibilities.

You will be forced work and/or interact with the completely clueless, and worse. Enjoy your college time while it lasts!!