I absolutely hate college.

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I'm a 19 year old (male) freshman majoring in computer engineering. I attend both Mt. Hood Community College and Portland State University through a co-admission program. I am taking all of my classes for the first two years except for 3 at Mt. Hood because it is cheaper, closer, and more of my type of thing. I'm still living at home to save money as well, and I commute to school.</p>

<p>And I absolutely hate college. I have from day one. It's boring, time consuming, and constant work with nothing to look forward to. I maybe get an hour to myself a day because of the steady workflow I get everyday. It seems like if I get one thing done, two more assignments pop up. As someone who HATES having a full schedule, this has really started to get to me. I still have a 3.81 GPA and I am doing great in all my classes.</p>

<p>Which would be fine if I didn't have anything to look forward to. All of my friends from high school are off at other universities for most of the year. The two that are staying at home like me aren't really the greatest of friends and get really stale to hang out with. I have met a few new people in college that are fine to talk to during school, but outside of school I wouldn't care to hang out with them.</p>

<p>Maybe worst of all, there are no women that interest me in the slightest in college. Since I'm in engineering, seeing a woman in my class is a rare occurrence. Of the few semi attractive women I find in college (which is a also rare occurrence), none of them have the type of personality I'm looking for. This has really started to get to me as well.</p>

<p>All in all, I've found out that I just don't fit into the college mentality. I'm completely straight edge, so drugs/alcohol/partying doesn't interest me in the slightest. I don't mind talking to people at school that do these things, but outside of school I don't want to get involved in this stuff, so I can't really hang out with them. I'm not out to have a one night stand with girls, and I have pretty high standards that I can no longer just settle for like I did in high school. </p>

<p>This rant pretty much comes down to this: I liked high school much more than college. From the people, to the women, to workload, I liked high school better. I've never been able to figure out why people constantly say college is so grreat. It's just a lot of work, with little socialization, and no free time. My high school experience was the exact opposite and I graduated with a 3.95 GPA.</p>

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<p>Well this is what happens when you are an introvert and live at home while going to college(being in engineering really doesn’t help either). My suggestion is to stop taking school so seriously and do something else in your free time. Unless you really need to get a 3.8 GPA for future academic reasons there is no need to study so much to the point in which you are miserable(I had a 3.9 GPA my freshman year but that wasn’t because I studied too much more so because the program wasn’t challenging). The problem that you are experiencing is that you go from home -> school -> library -> home during the weekdays and then on the weekends you study. You need to keep your mind interested in some non academic subject so that you don’t become obsessed with your GPA for no reason other than to obtain a high GPA. I would know as most of my time in college was exactly as you describe: studying seven days a week alone spending most of the time trying to figure out theories in which I was rarely ever tested on. </p>

<p>The best thing that you can do is pick up another interest that doesn’t involve school work and do this on the weekends. If if involves other people(hint: playing a sport) then this is very positive. The real problem that you have is simply that you care so much about school and your grades but you really haven’t stopped to think and analyze why exactly you care so much.</p>

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<p>My main two reasons for keeping a high GPA: </p>

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<li> I want to get an internship at the end of my second year. A 3.5 is really the cutoff to be really considered for it. I figure the higher GPA I have, the better chance I have at getting it. If I do get the internship, not only do I get the experience, but I will make enough money during it to pay for all of my bachelors degree.</li>
<li>If I wasn’t trying my absolute hardest, I would feel like I was slacking and wasting my money. Since I’m spending my own money to pay for school (I’m avoiding loans at all cost because they scare me), that motivates me even more. If I spend all the time I can on studying for an exam and I get a B, I won’t feel as bad as getting a B without studying as much.</li>
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<p>It also comes down to the fact that I’m not a very outgoing person. I’m not the type of person that doesn’t like joining clubs or sports. In high school my parents forced me to do football and track and field and I hated it because it tied down my time. Open schedules have always been what I enjoy. I’m the type of person that likes to have a select few close friends come over to my house and hang out. I’m the type of person that would rather go on a walk and just talk to a close friend than to go out and go bowling or something. I’m terrible at approaching people (every girl I’ve ever dated and almost every friend I’ve made has approached me first), so putting myself in these situations rarely do anything either.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, none of it really matters. I don’t have enough time to join something that consistently meets. To be honest, I don’t even really miss the friends nearly as much as I miss having a girlfriend. My senior year was great because when things started to get stressful, I could just go over to my ex girlfriends house and forget about it for a few hours. Now when I’m stressed out, all I can do is take a small break or play video games, which doesn’t work nearly as well.</p>

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<p>There still exists life after college if you cant find people you relate with during your education</p>

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<p>To be honest, if you are open to feedback: it does sound like a pretty grueling schedule you have set for yourself. </p>

<p>I’m basically an introvert and like to be busy like you. So I get involved in activities I enjoy and also find time for solitary activities</p>

<p>You are right that college is different from high school. If you are committed to your goal, stick with it but be open to changing things up a bit along the way</p>

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<p>your standards are way too high. unless you look like ryan reynolds.</p>

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<p>I will admit that I have really high standards. I spent most of high school just settling for girls that were 50%-60% what I wanted and it sucked. Then in my senior year I dated my ex that was about 98% what I wanted. It was a GREAT relationship and I could never go back to just settling again. I’d honestly rather be alone than to settle again.</p>

<p>And no, I don’t look like Ryan Reynolds. Although, it seems like a lot of girls I attract are a lot more attractive than I would have imagined.</p>

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<p>Dude. (me starting with this is not indicative of my personality) I am and have always been in the same boat. I also finished really strong freshman year with a 3.87 (my GPA is lower now that classes are much more intensive and challenging) </p>

<p>I never understood the partying mentality. I came to college looking for a challenge (refer to my “Location” … I put that there after I ditched UChicago for UMich). I want to do well in school. I really like learning. I want to be highly involved. I want to meet and get to know people. I want to be a relationship, but not now but something serious and long-term. But I don’t understand partying and drinking. </p>

<p>Which brings me to another point. I’m very introverted and socially awkward too. People talk about getting involved in school… I am involved. I have a leadership position in an extracurricular/professional honor society. But even there people are heavy partiers. I remember probably 2 weeks ago the most active members went out to dinner that was paid for by the organization’s funds. It was a delicious dinner and I had a great time. But at the end of the dinner, someone said, “Hey I bought $500 of vodka. Let’s make jello shots and party!” </p>

<p>I said … “Heck no,” and left. They asked why, and I said, “personal reasons.” </p>

<p>Later that night I went to the gym and played racquetball with a girl I like. I think I treasure that moment a whole lot more than not remembering anything at all. Plus, after that, I felt energized enough to put an extra 2-3 hours into research and finals … instead of having a blackout and waking up feeling useless. </p>

<p>Other times, when I’m stressed, I go out for a run. It’s good for you; it’s free, and you really feel good about yourself. Bar crawls are expensive and they really don’t make sense to me. I had a pretty good internship that paid well last summer and will have another one this upcoming summer, and I still won’t waste money like that. I remember that at the end of last summer, some interns were complaining that they didn’t have much money left … well, duh … </p>

<p>Even if it’s not about stress, I think it’s kinda lame for people to fall back on alcohol just to be social. I’m socially awkward. I know that and I not only accept but also embrace it. It’s who I am. </p>

<p>Sorry … end rant … it’s finals week here. :O</p>

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<p>I couldn’t agree more. Some of my best memories are just being around people that are really close to me. Some examples being going on long walks with my ex and just talking with my best friend that moved away in summer of 2010.</p>

<p>I go on a run pretty much everyday. If I don’t, I start to gain weight, and I want to be healthy. It also helps to study.</p>

<p>Oddly enough, I went to my ex’s house for the first time in 7 months last week to get some cd’s I left over there. I was expecting to get the cds and leave. However, I got there and she started talking to me, and the next thing I knew it was 3 and a half hours later. It was the first time since school started where I just lost track of time and didn’t care about school or bills or anything. It was a great feeling. Too bad it had to be my ex did that for me, since she is my ex and everything.</p>

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<p>Amen. I’m training for a half marathon this summer. And I’m having Pineapple Chobani greek yogurt and roasted almonds as I’m studying for a math final.</p>

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<p>Dang, I wish I could run that far… I’m a bigger guy (6 foot, 200 pounds, wide frame) so I can only run about a mile and a half before I have to start walking. I’m trying to reach 2 miles at some point, so hopefully I can get there some day.</p>

<p>As for my choice of study snacking, I like sunflower seeds. They taste good and aren’t too bad for you.</p>

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<p>@Darth ah ok, I thought you were just talking about looks. I agree in that case, a relationship with someone you’re not super compatible with is way worse than being single… although being single isn’t much better.</p>

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<p>Only one of those things can be true…</p>

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<p>Being in a relationship with a psycho or with someone that you have nothing in common with is easily worse than being single. However, being single sucks in its own ways. So I would say both are true.</p>

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<p>^^</p>

<p>I do have a vehicle, and I can go places, but I have no idea where I will meet people that I would want to meet. All of my friends came out of the blue, so its not like I can say “If I go here, I can meet someone similar”.</p>

<p>As for obsessing over grades, I have no choice. My only hobbies are my car and video games. Video games bore me now, and I don’t have enough money to do anything to my car anymore. I study so much because I have nothing better to do. I’m sure if I had a girlfriend I wouldn’t study as much, but that’s not the case, so I study whenever I can. Also, if my grades were to slip, I’d be disappointed in myself and my parents may kick me out, and I can’t pay for school out on my own.</p>

<p>And I don’t limit myself to people. I’ll talk to anyone and be friendly. I had a lot of friends in high school that did drugs and skipped class all the time, but I still loved talking to them during school. I never really hung out with them outside of school though because they were always doing things I didn’t want to get involved with. All of the people that I would hang out with outside of school were my friends that were like me: straight edge and just wanted to hang out the house. Everyone I have met at my CC just go to school and then go home and smoke weed and play either Magic: The Gathering or video games. At PSU, everyone I have met studies all week long and either works all weekend or studies most of the day and then goes out drinking at night. I talk to these people all day long in class, but I can’t find a common ground with them outside of class.</p>

<p>I understand that I am not so outgoing and that college age people like going out a lot, but I just never have. There is nothing wrong with people going out, but it seems like in college people go out much more than they did in high school. As someone who likes to just lay low and hang out around peoples houses, this kind of bums me out.</p>

<p>As for having to apply myself…I’m not a big fan of it. I liked high school because it was easy and had no bearing on anything important. I liked that I had to take pointless classes that were an easy A that I could just sit around and talk to people for most of the class. And if I didn’t get a major concept in one class and did mild on the test but did well on the rest of them, then that was fine. Now in college I feel like I have to master everything as I go, because my higher level classes will expect me to know the material. No longer can I just sit around and talk to people. I have to go to lecture, take notes like crazy, and come home.</p>

<p>As for the stress relief…I don’t really need it. I’m the type of person that can just get up day after day and go through the motions and still do well. I’m not an overly emotional person (overall), so 95% of the time I feel indifference. This allows me to just get up and burn the whole day studying without doing anything else for 10 weeks straight. Would I like to be doing something else? Of course. But is it my reality? No. So I just deal with it and keep hoping when I go to bed that someday soon will have something to actually look forward to.</p>

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<p>I’m a high school senior and not yet in college, so I can’t offer much advice, but I can say I have a rough idea of how you feel. I’m the same kind of person with the same kind of mellow, relaxing, at-home interests and I have a very strong feeling I’m going to feel uncomfortable in college and just spending all my spare time studying. I know the first two probably don’t apply to you, but I’m going to miss my home, family, and high school lifestyle (honestly very, very comfortable lifestyle I have now, arguably the best I’ve ever had) in college, I just know it.</p>

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<p>I can agree with this wholeheartedly. From the end of my sophomore year of high school until I graduated, I had a comfortable and great lifestyle that was formed exactly how I wanted to live life. Easily the best period of my life.</p>

<p>College messes that up though. Many friends will go to different schools than you. If you have a girlfriend/boyfriend that is still in high school they may leave you because they might think you will find someone else in college or you won’t have time for them. Enjoy your senior year, I know I enjoyed mine.</p>

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<p>As much as I enjoyed my last year of high school (hated the first three) and not having any responsibilities, I wouldn’t trade semi-adult life for it.</p>

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<p>The fact is that you are going to hate some parts of life. I don’t know why you had the idea that college was going to be so fun. You will probably have some fun times and some boring times, just like anything else you are involved in. You have a pretty good reason for going to school. You are doing it so you can get a job later, so you don’t have to work a job that you hate. That is worse than anything.</p>

<p>You might need to mix things up a little bit to get something new in your life. There are tons of things that you can do besides going out and partying. How about go to a coffee shop and hang out or go to the park and throw the Frisbee. If you change the regular things that you do, it will change your location and put you in a position of being around different people.</p>

<p>it would also be really helpful if you tried to be more positive. try to be thankful for what you have and make some strides to do something different everyday. Definitely get some kind of new hobby. Video games are not something that will ever give back. Try some new things until something feels appealing and fits.</p>

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<p>Actually, I never thought college was going to be fun. I remember people my freshman year of high school saying “I can’t wait to graduate and go to college. College is going to be awesome!”. That only gained momentum, especially in senior year. I never once thought that. I was always dreading college. I knew it would mean a lot of work and that my friends and I would be parting ways for most of the year. I NEVER thought college was going to be fun. Hell, on graduation day I wanted to stay in high school.</p>

<p>As for finding new hobbies, I’d love to. I’d love to work on my car or mod my Xbox or work on my computer or go 4x4’ing, but I don’t have the money for it anymore. In high school, I could afford to spend some money here and there so I could do stuff with my hobbies. Now that college alone is such a drain on my money, I don’t have any money to put into my hobbies. And since all of my hobbies require money to do them, I’m not exactly able to do them as of right now.</p>