<p>Hello everyone! I am a senior in high school and I am impatiently waiting for February 11 to come so I can finally see if I have been accepted to the school i really want to go in. To pass the time I just been thinking how college will be like and how exciting it will be.</p>
<p>I'm also excited because I'm hoping I can reinvent myself in college. I am very shy and I have zero self-confidence in myself, I have a list of insecurity issues. I'm hoping in college that maybe I can change myself and realize that I need to be more confident.</p>
<p>So I guess my main question is how were you in high school? And throughout college have you changed? Positively or Negatively?</p>
<p>I was ridiculously depressed in high school, and I love college. I’ve become such a happier person. I have a smile on my face about 80% of the time, not kidding. I literally don’t know how I could be happier without taking some sort of drug.</p>
<p>College is kind of like on Animal Farm where the pigs are in the house laughing with the humans and all the other animals are outside with feelings of dread and despair. They felt scammed, afraid, yet still under the authority of arbitrary power.</p>
<p>College has completely changed me for the worse. With all of society’s brainwashing that “you need a degree to be successful” or “only smart people go to college” or “you have to get into one of the best colleges” or “college is the best time of your life” I found college to be a hollow bureaucracy where people pretend to learn but hardly any real learning goes on, and most of my peers would rather socialize. It’s turned out to be a huge disappointment. Most of my hopes and dreams have been crushed and my confidence has been all but destroyed.</p>
<p>I eat more fast food and it’s disgusting. You learn to miss leftovers and spaghetti night. </p>
<p>I was a loser in HS, freshman thru junior year. Reinvented myself senior year, took that to college. Relapsed a bit, yet still feel more confident and independent than in HS. Learned to do stuff for myself, take the initiative, etc…And not really care what the idiots think.</p>
<p>I love college, I am finally on my own, independent, more responsible and I don’t have to deal with the high school clicks anymore.
To those people that think they are cool now in high school, just remember, you are at the bottom of the pool in college, you are starting all over again, for the better that is</p>
<p>Honestly, college hasn’t really changed me much yet. I’ve always been a very independent person and I’ve always been very introverted. I’m still both. I actually do my homework now though, and I’m getting a lot more sleep now that I can choose my own schedule.</p>
<p>I thought college would change me. That I would become a lot happier. Didn’t work out that way. I was way too optimistic beforehand, borderline unrealistic.</p>
<p>College has actualy made me a lot more outgoing and confident. I was never shy, but I was somewhat insecure in college, and never really comfortable being myself around people. Living away from home in a school where I fit in well has really changed that - I’m a lot more confident around people, both guys and girls, and I feel like I’ve really grown up.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, my eating habits have also changed slightly…I haven’t exactly gained any weight, but I feel like it’s creeping up on me, so I should probably start eating healthier, haha.</p>
<p>Before I get into how college has changed me, let me tell you, don’t come into college with expectations because with that, you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment. You’re whole life I know you’ve been told the cliche “college is the best 4 yours of your life,” “you;ll meet your BFFs at college,” and blah blah blah. This may be true for you, but don’t be surprised if it’s not. That’s why I say don’t come in with expectations because if you don’t experience what you were being told your whole life, it’s going to hurt hard. Trust me, I should know; just look at my username LOL. However, I’m not trying to be negative. Enter college with a clear mind and live it day by day. That way, you get to experience college on YOUR own terms, not on society’s view of the “college experience.” Though some of my past posts have been controversial, I’m pretty sure some people will agree with some of the points I made thus far.</p>
<p>Anyways, back to me. College has been okay. Not going to lie. If you archive my posts you’ll prob. get the impression that I’m unhappy as heck here. Most of my unhappiness stems from the let down of what I’ve been told my 18 years of living. I was told all sorts of things only to find that what I was told was (a) overrated and/or (b) not true (some not all). I’m still trying to cope from being let down, which is why I express my feelings here in a some what unhappy/aggressive way. Surprisingly and contrary to my username (LOL), I don’t hate college. It has taught me that you can’t expect life to be how you want it. It also taught me to make the best out of unfortunate situations (i.e. trying to stay focused despite being unhappy to the point of depression). Although I may not like my current situation, I don’t know the future and I think I’ll have a lot more lessons to gain from college.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s bad to go into something such as college with certain expectations. I think a lot of people have the ability to turn expectations into reality. Personally, I am a sr in HS right now, and am definitely coming into college with a set of expectations in terms of social life/academics…</p>
<p>@loserman: i feel like everyone has been brainwashed by all this “if you don’t go to college you’re a failure” and “college is all about learning and enlightenment” propaganda. i feel like i can’t possibly get even more disillusioned once i step onto campus though, so the only way my view of college can go is up.</p>
<p>I am a freshmen right now at college and it is an experience that you will never forget in more ways than one. I have not changed who I am but I have just finally let myself be open to everyone and I have new real friends because of this. Sure yes college is work, the academics can be difficult, depending on what you are taking, and there is always that one bad apple on your floor, however it is incredible. I love it and honestly I have never felt more like myself than when I started college. I have let myself go in the best way since starting college, without losing my identity and still keeping up with my subjects. The key is to branch out because that is what college is for. Do what scares you, but isn’t life threatening or negative. It is ok to explore also, but just make sure to stay true to who you are because there are many temptations in college and you have to be strong enough to know what you are comfortable with and what your limitations are. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>In general, I would say I have a healthier perspective on life. Do the things you love, the things that are your responsibilities, the things that give your life meaning, and the things that will help you get you to where you want to be later in life. Anything more is white noise. Don’t create an image that you have to live up to. Just be yourself. No one should ask anything more from you.</p>
<p>First things first, college changed me from being a moderate-conservative Christian to a very strong, progressive secular humanist, but in the best ways possible. </p>
<p>I believe the independence, the need for personal responsibility, and exposure to a more diverse group of people really helps build confidence in your self and changes how you view the world and your place within it. Also, being away from my closed-minded, semi-toxic high school environment, I’ve really been able to feel more positive about life, my interests, and been able to grow as a person. I also learned how to take care of myself and I’m a lot less naive than I used to be about how the world works and what I really want out of life. </p>
<p>I’m not going to say everything is sunshines and daisies. In some ways, I’m also a lot more jaded than I was in high school. Classes require so much more effort and dedication, which can be incredibly stressful if you want to get that 4.0. That’s being said, college made me no longer concerned with my grades or the importance of “straight A’s” or “book smarts” - I now place more value on my people skills, my abilities to solve problems, my empathy with other people, and the ways I help and treat others.</p>
<p>You’ll also definitely get a more realistic view of yourself once you start hanging around people who are a million times smarter than you, if not just as smart, and have accomplished so much more. Some of your career goals and dreams will die or change, but that’s all part of the process of becoming an adult. The key is to not focus on comparing yourself as much and focus on motivating yourself to improve and making the best of your situation. </p>
<p>I think it depends a lot on what “going to college” means for you. If you move thousands of miles away and live in a dorm, you’re probably going to change a lot more than you would have if you stayed with your parents and went to a local college. For some people it’s just more school, and that’s fine because college is just one kind of life experience and there will be many opportunities for you to grow and change throughout your life.</p>
<p>I say this because I’m a commuter (though I live with my cousins and not my parents) and my university isn’t too far away from where I grew up. I was a full-time dual-enrollment student when I was in high school, so going to college “for real” wasn’t much of a transition and I don’t think I’ve changed very much since August. </p>
<p>I think what you should take from this thread is that everyone has a different experience. Also, don’t set expectations. </p>
<p>Personally college has been amazing, but it isn’t for everyone, even in my own friend group here. For every person having the time of their life there’s someone really struggling, and of course all of the in betweens of both sides. I haven’t changed a bit, I just changed my environment in my college choice to something I knew would make me happy, and it worked out.</p>
<p>It really comes down to a lot of different factors. Are you independent? Do you want to be independent? Are you realistic about your future? Do you actually like learning or are you going for the degree? And all these questions don’t begin to address stuff like how far from home you are, if you choose to reinvent yourself at college, etc.</p>
<p>I’ll say this: don’t reinvent yourself on the inside. Instead, shed anything about you that wasn’t real about you in high school. Don’t make up some character you aren’t though, it will not make you happy. If you are true to who you are and find the right school for you, you will do well and be very happy. So I guess the changes you will see the most in college is people dropping stereotypes / old nicknames / presumptions from high school, a gain of independence and learning responsibility / balance for many, and just generally learning more about yourself and the changes that result from that. I know that all seems very vague but people have very different experiences. Best of luck with yours!</p>