<p>I think its just a scam (not literally). Just something to get people enticed to going to college because the idea of going just to get an education is ludicrous. The whole party life, football, drinking, smoking, "no parents," thing is pretty lame. </p>
<p>I understand you go to network, especially if your field calls for it, but you can do that in class. Its pretty hard to network while drunk (I would know). The other side is to get educated in an area you want to be in.</p>
<p>How are all those things relevant or necessary? I especially don't see it since I have near unlimited freedom as a high school student. Whats the point of experiencing it? Why do colleges force the roommate thing on you. If I want or need a roommate in real life then I will do it, why do I have to conform to the university's idea of a college experience. Why do I even need a college experience and why is the culture focused so much on it?</p>
<p>College is a test in itself. Employers can see if you can balance your personal life and your academic (professional) responsibilities. Those that survive get a degree that says they can handle the business world. Those that drop out pump gas.</p>
<p>As I have said in another thread, College is **<strong><em>, but </em></strong> is still very important.</p>
<p>My plan for college in the fall? Have lots of fun. LOTS of fun, but do well too. Go back to work for the company I work for now in the summers, and then graduate and work for them full time. I love this company, and literally, all my college degree will do for my employer is act as a legal buffer so she doesn’t get sued if she advances me to higher positions in the company by people with college degrees who think that would be unfair. I already have people with degrees working for me, it isn’t fair. I am signing an academic contract with my company that ensures my future employment and retains at least my current management position. It is kind of sad that the only real use to my employer of my degree is so to protect my boss, if you want to connect the dots like that. But I will love college in the mean time. Have fun. That’s the plan.</p>
<p>It may not be a purpose of life, but it is the main purpose of college - 99 of the next 100 parents or students you ask will tell you that ultimately the main reason behind college is so that you will have more opportunities (that’s a euphemism for JOBS) afterwards. Anyone who thinks otherwise is terribly naive.</p>
<p>And while you’re being all existential on the purpose of life, I actually do think that everyone needs a “job” or contributes to society in some way. If you want to blaze up all day and run naked over hill and dale and not do anything your whole life, then I don’t really care much about what you have to say about the purpose of life.</p>
<p>Oh go way with your bad head Manhattan, I didn’t say getting a job wasn’t important…Just the OP goes on talking about networking while drunk and how doing fun things like partying and drinking aren’t necessary or relevant. Of course they aren’t, they’re just fun…</p>
<p>I don’t know, I think the whole “college experience” is important. I see it as an important phase in life, and although not a rite of passage because not everyone gets to experience, it is still invaluable nonetheless.</p>
<p>To me, yes the whole no parents and parties thing is a selling and doesn’t fully make up the college experience, but not everyone was as independent in high school as they are in high school. College is definitely a time to have fun, before you have to deal with all the responsibilities of a real life, and a family and a career (of course not including those who have a family in college). But college is also the perfect time to learn how to balance because it is almost literally sink or swim.</p>
<p>And as manhattan said, you should have all the fun you possibly can while in college because then you’ll be able to tell your kids, “Yeah your mom/dad was that cool” :)</p>
<p>For me, the “college experience” isn’t about drinking or preparing for a job. It’s about taking advantage of opportunities I won’t otherwise have at my fingertips (study abroad) and meeting all kinds of people. So for me, the “college experience” is about enjoying life in a way that I strongly prefer: a diverse, academic, relatively relaxed setting.</p>
<p>Some people DIDN’T have the time of their lives in high school. Some people were unable to assert their independence due to overbearing parents. And a lot of people may find the idea of learning more about yourself and other people while preparing for the rest of your life in an environment that is conducive to hard work AND fun to be very appealing (ugly sentence, sorry).</p>
<p>Life sucks enough as it is, so why can’t college at least be somewhat enjoyable? It allows you to grow up and make some forgivable mistakes, which are inevitable in life.</p>
<p>I know people who have had more problems in their lives than I can even imagine, and they’re doing just fine too. That doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t have preferred not to have those problems.</p>
<p>One of the main things a college degree tells people is that you managed to complete a major task over a long period of time (getting a bachelor’s degree), overcoming all sorts of obstacles and distractions in the process, following directions, and generally playing by the rules.</p>
<p>It used to mean you were a person who had at least half a chance of being able to figure out a 15% tip on a restaurant tab, and catch a reference to Plato or Shakespeare. Then some geniuses at lots of colleges decided it would be good to let students avoid classes it would hurt their feelings to take, so now you can’t take anything for granted.</p>
<p>None at the moment, but I have lived as a student for stretches of time (over a week in most cases) at 2 UCs (Davis, Riverside), a Cal State (Humboldt), and a private university (Loyola Marymount).</p>