High School life sucks...Is college better?

[Salve]

<p>

@davematthewsxvii

I would be the first to say “that girl is just a *****/a slut” and avoid her and not even know her. Eventually I changed though because I would be forced into being around them and I’d find out that my prejudices would be completely untrue and that said person would actually be really nice/sweet/cool .

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<p>But… like at my school, when all you hear from them is how much sex they have been having with their boyfriends and where to find the cheapest birth control… then the perspective changes.</p>

[QuantumArbiter]

<p>yeah…glad to hear that I’m not the only one with these problems…</p>

<p>as for cute/nerdy girls…yeah…they really don’t exist.</p>

[davematthewsxvii]

<p>you’d be surprised dude, and “how much sex they have with their boyfriends” and other stuff is probably just other peoples speculation, or the boyfriend makes it up to sound cool to his friends. believe me man, you really can’t judge how a girl is unless you hang out/talk/shoot the **** with her for a little bit. by forced into being around, i meant being put into the same class or doing an EC activity with her or her being out with friends that are friends with my friends and were all at the same place</p>

[TotheSky]

<p>

you know that the learning environment, policies and the such vary WILDLY per college, no?</p>

<p>I have never heard of Santa Clara college (and probably neither did any one else in CC). so, obviously, not many academically-inclined ppl would go there. . .</p>

<p>in this case, the OP was talkin about the name colleges, and the like. they will vary wildly college by college, so nobody really knows how the experience will play.</p>

<p>it’s what you make of your life.</p>

<p>on a sour note, i did hear MIT’s life was a bit academically grueling. . .

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<p>First of all, it’s santa clara university, not college. Second of all, the average sat critical reading and math scores of acceptances are 595 and 620, respectively. Is it an Ivy? No. But to just blatantly dismiss the school saying that not many “academically inclined” individuals would go there is offensive and just plain wrong. </p>

<p>No, I do not go there. No, I am not applying there. But this is the very arrogant and upyourownass attitude that I really hate about a lot of ccers. It’s appalling and frankly one of the reasons that so many of you struggle socially while seemingly succeeding in the “important” areas of life.</p>

[almostdune]

<p>It would be pretty pathetic if the best years of your life was a mere 4 years. You haven’t even reached your midlife crisis yet.</p>

[iInsomnia]

<p>

I used to be so popular and outgoing in middle school…I used to be around meaningful/fun people…I just hate my life now…

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<p>I just lol’d. It’s middle school filled with 11-14 year-olds. College life will not be any different with that kind of attitude.</p>

[THE_HAIRY_LEMON]

<p>

First of all, it’s santa clara university, not college. Second of all, the average sat critical reading and math scores of acceptances are 595 and 620, respectively. Is it an Ivy? No. But to just blatantly dismiss the school saying that not many “academically inclined” individuals would go there is offensive and just plain wrong.</p>

<p>No, I do not go there. No, I am not applying there. But this is the very arrogant and upyourownass attitude that I really hate about a lot of ccers. It’s appalling and frankly one of the reasons that so many of you struggle socially while seemingly succeeding in the “important” areas of life.

</p>

<p>really now.</p>

<p>i make a frank assumption based on somebody’s firsthand experience, and far from acting in a elitist matter. (in fact, even i struggle academically at times.) i never heard of the college either.</p>

<p>DOES NOT MEAN I THUMB MY NOSE AT THAT COLLEGE. . .PLENTY OF GODDAMN COLLEGES HAVE HIDDEN MAGIC. . . AND I MIGHT END UP GOING TO ONE OF THEM. WHO KNOWS.</p>

<p>but apparently in this case, the magic lies in the drinking and smoking. . .</p>

<p>and really, if the students (and im not saying all of them) are so academically inclined based on their sat scores, then why should one student be disturbed by the peculiar behavior of many? why did he happen to land on school, and instead of progressing, be let down by the student body?</p>

<p>

@DCHurricane

Has anyone felt a bit let down? People were telling me left and right that college is awesome, you have a blast. My high school experience, to be succinct, sucked. I admit there were some fun times, but they mostly involved heavy drinking or heavy smoking. Two things I’d rather not do. A lot of the people at my school were not as mature as I thought they’d be. And living in a dorm hall kinda sucked. My roommate was cool, but messy as hell and my floor was so loud. I mean if they were loud at 10PM I wouldn’t have cared. But no, they were loud at 1AM on weekdays when some people want to sleep. My RA didn’t give a …Has anyone felt a bit let down? People were telling me left and right that college is awesome, you have a blast. My high school experience, to be succinct, sucked. I admit there were some fun times, but they mostly involved heavy drinking or heavy smoking. Two things I’d rather not do. A lot of the people at my school were not as mature as I thought they’d be. And living in a dorm hall kinda sucked. My roommate was cool, but messy as hell and my floor was so loud. I mean if they were loud at 10PM I wouldn’t have cared. But no, they were loud at 1AM on weekdays when some people want to sleep. My RA didn’t give a …

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<p>why should be be disillusioned by the surrounding student body, who aren’t doin much good either? maybe hurricane got unlucky getting stuck with a certain group of ppl.</p>

<p>i’d love to hear another account of life at santa clara university.</p>

<p>

But this is the very arrogant and upyourownass attitude that I really hate about a lot of ccers.

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<p>dare to call me that one more time. i despise them as much as u do.</p>

[SLightManifesto]

<p>"Princeton, Caltech, MIT, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, and Cornell. "</p>

<p>Prepare for very little social life. Just kidding, if you go to Cal or UCLA, you’ll have a social life. Princeton you may have a slight one, but if you plan to go to Caltech, MIT, Stanford, or Cornell, prepare for Virginfest '10.</p>

[THE_HAIRY_LEMON]

<p>

@SLightManifesto

Virginfest

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<p>as in. . .lack of. . .mutual satisfaction? :o</p>

[QuantumArbiter]

<p>I don’t want a fight in here. Both Hairy Lemon and Tothesky WILL stand down and take this elsewhere…though I’m inclined to support Tothesky a little.</p>

<p>Anyways.
@SlightManifesto…where do you get your sources from? I heard Cal was the worst place on earth…no diversity at all apparently btw.</p>

[MrWheezy]

<p>Yeah there isn’t much of a diversity at Cal, I lived there when my mom was a grad student. Nonetheless, it’s still a great place :)</p>

[THE_HAIRY_LEMON]

<p>

I don’t want a fight in here. Both Hairy Lemon and Tothesky WILL stand down and take this elsewhere…though I’m inclined to support Tothesky a little.

</p>

<p>i will not fight. i don’t want to fight. the standoff ends right here.</p>

<p>sorry for my apparent emptyheadedness tothesky.</p>

<p>but it just seemed awkward to label the university’s student body as “academically inclined” when i hear otherwise. . . </p>

<p>i dunno. i don’t want a moshpit in cc. this is my very last post in this thread. </p>

<p>just the point is: any college is not what they seem.</p>

<p>good day to you To The Sky and QuantumArbiter,</p>

<p>with regards, lemon</p>

[SLightManifesto]

<p>Who cares about diversity for this matter? What I was referring to is if you go to Caltech, all you’ll see is people who if you try to approach them and make conversation, they’ll stare down and try to get away. If you go to Cal, however, people will actually talk to you.</p>

<p>And yes Hairy Lemon…exactly.</p>

[trumpetgrl]

<p>I disagree…(35 seconds)</p>

[jamesford]

<p>

Who cares about diversity for this matter? What I was referring to is if you go to Caltech, all you’ll see is people who if you try to approach them and make conversation, they’ll stare down and try to get away. If you go to Cal, however, people will actually talk to you.

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<p>Do you know what else you’ll find at MIT, Caltech, Princeton, and other schools where the students all partake in “Virginfest '10”?</p>

<p>People who can refrain from making useless, baseless generalizations.</p>

[HopefulEagle86]

<p>Going into college with a “popular kid, dress cool” attitude, you will not find it very interesting. Most people are already mature and deny to tolerate quarrelsome.</p>

[QuantumArbiter]

<p>bump…? (10 char)</p>

[PianoGal]

<p>heh nice. all the guys at my school are jerks, and of course I’m the shy nerdy girl who people sometimes will only talk to just to get the right answer for homework. I’m just waiting to find a guy that has my interests…in my dreams</p>

[smileyyy]

<p>Honestly I find this whole notion of “i have no friends/social life in high school but it’ll all change in college” mentality pretty ****ing ridic.</p>

<p>Sorry but chances are if your awkward and anti-social in high school you’ll probably be the same way in college. I mean sure college is less clique-y and you do start off with a new slate (so I’ve heard) but I highly doubt you’ll become mister popular and leave your social awkwardness of high school all beyond. Yes, everyone is eager to meet new people but you still have to try somewhat. If you can’t go up to someone and make plans in high school a few months (if you’re a senior) won’t do you any good. </p>

<p>/rant</p>

[college316]

<p>okay so I hate to be the creepy college student who comes in and comments on this but I just wanted to share a little of my experience and hopefully yall can gain at least some perspective from it…</p>

<p>in high school, I was really intellectual, not in a nerdy way but just in an genuinely interested in learning way. Most of my friends went to in-state colleges (not bad, but the in-state schools where I’m from are less academically-focused and more sports-focused). I was the only one among my friends who “aimed higher” and I wasn’t really surrounded by intellectual people. I was satisfied but not happy, because I didn’t really have much in common with my friends. Also, I come from a really small town with not a lot of opportunity/growth available.</p>

<p>I came to college (I go to Rice) and it’s basically heaven. Everyone I’ve met is SO SMART. for the most part, not in an obnoxious/arrogant way. It’s like you have all the normal stereotypes–cheerleaders, goths, music-obsessed people, etc. but everyone’s majoring in bioengineering or something. Also, since everyone’s so smart, it feels like they’re less shallow and they’re more likely to make friends outside of one little social circle. Personally I’ve thrived in this environment…the opportunities for learning and growth are endless.</p>

<p>That said, I would really advise you not to look at high school as a means to an end. Try to enjoy the experience while you’re there. Meet people in your community (not necessarily your own age) who share your interests and ideals. Intern at a non-profit, volunteer, do something where you meet people who are more mature than the kind of people you seem to have in your high school.</p>

<p>College is ridiculously fast-paced, which can be good and bad. You never really have time to breathe and high school is one of the few times in your life when you can just kind of relax and take things as they come. High school, then, is the time to really pursue what you’re interested in, with no outside pressures holding you back.</p>

<p>Finally, don’t be spooked by the threads in the College Life section from people who were dissatisfied with their first semester experience. There can be several reasons for this, all of which you can try to avoid:

1. people picked a school that wasn’t for them
2. people picked schools where most students are cutthroat/unhappy
3. people picked majors they aren’t interested in, or picked majors for the wrong reasons
4. people had unrealistically high expectations for what first semester would be like
5. people didn’t realize that first semester IS rough, not because college is bad, just because the adjustment/transition can be stressful even for the most even-keeled student.
6. people didn’t set themselves up for success socially–they picked schools with student bodies whose ideals/values are different from their own, or they didn’t make enough of an effort to make friends in the first few weeks when everyone’s making friends.
7. people didn’t ask for help. This is a big one. In high school, many of the brightest students are fiercely independent and get through 4 years without ever asking for help. College is a whole new ball game and at least at Rice, there are TONS of people out there who will gladly offer their advice/perspective, you just need to know where to look and swallow your pride and ask for help. It truly pays off the long run.</p>

<p>Good luck to all of you!</p>