What I learned in College

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>What I learned in College</p>

<p>I have one semester left at college and I wanted to share with all of you what I learned at my four years of college. I learned many lessons of life. Many of you will disagree and criticize and I want you to know that’s ok, we live in a free country and we have the right to freedom of speech since the day we drew breathe to exercise such a freedom. But this post is for me and my need to share, and maybe there is someone out there who has had similar experiences or feels the same way.</p>

<p>The most important lesson I learned in college is how the world is a cruel and ruthless place. It is cruel not by design, but by people. Yes, the world is a beautiful place as well, but you have to be smart and cunning to survive or it will gobble you up. I learned that the nature of man is selfishness and arrogance.</p>

<p>For example: there exist an unholy union between the author of our textbooks, the publishing companies, and the schools. Greed. You can sugar coat it all you want, you can excuse it, but there is not something right about all this. They charge exuberant prices and they publish “new” editions to hamper the used textbook trade. They employ other means as well as unnecessary software packages and they use other means as well, I don’t feel like listing them all. But instead of being a victim to this system and letting inertia take me over I learned to use my talent of resourcefulness and cunning to defeat the powers that be. I didn’t know this stuff at first but I began to learn. I wouldn’t purchase the book at all and would still get an A in the class if I tried hard enough, or buy a previous edition, or buy the book for dirt cheap, or find a library copy, or borrowed one from someone and read through it quickly, make photo copies, or buy the book from the website if it was cheap, etc. There are many strategies. This scenario helped me appreciate the fact that all of us have the ability to adapt to situations and survive no matter our circumstances. Street urchins in poor places find a means to get food and find happiness so why not anyone else. Like I said you need to be smart in life because evil men rule this world and we have to be strong.</p>

<p>The other lesson I learned is the apathetic nature of man. Professors and administrators that don’t care for their students, they have no passion, or they have self centered interest. The students themselves. Some who are arrogant and have vanity, some who are disorganized, some who just don’t care. I think out of all the professors I have had, only two had a positive impact in my life and I will never forget them and for that I am grateful and content. I learned that in life you don’t need a degree or a Ph.D to be somebody. I have more respect for the people who take out our garbage, grow our crops, and other honest livings than any “so called professional or self-proclaimed intellectual”. I learned that I am responsible for my education. While most of my classes had apathetic professors who read off powerpoints and everything is about the grades, and the GPA, and this whole rat race, I learned to spend time in the library reading books that were not required and learn for the sake of learning and loving it. I am not sure if it was Winston Churchill or Einstein who said this, but they said “I despise school, but I love learning”. Men are arrogant and think they are so great because of the things they have or the knowledge they have, but don't you understand that you little human are a small speck of dust compared to the vastness and majesty of this universe. There are a billions of stars, and many planets in this universe and your desires, your loves, your hates, your passions, your worries, your everything is nothing but a speck of dust compared to the vastness that is this universe, this reality?</p>

<p>I learned of the competitive nature of man and his selfishness. Instead of bending down to help his fellow man he only cares for himself or only helps if it benefits him. Many of my classmates would come to me for help and then after I helped them they would never talk to me or even show gratitude. They only cared about the grade, they didn’t enjoy the process of doing the work. They were lazy. But I learned that in life it’s important to help others even when you are not appreciated and not to desire the acceptance and nods of people. I remember the drug dealer who told the main character in Breaking Bad that “ a man provides even when he is not appreciated or even loved. I saw many of my classmates cheat on the test, lots of them. I learned the lesson that you cannot buy or be rewarded with good character, you must develop it. I don’t care how smart, rich, or talented a person is, if he/she cheated to get were they are, they are nothing but a fa</p>

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<p>goddamn that was good. a little cynical (doesn’t mean you’re wrong) but by and large true.</p>

<p>agreed 100% about the professor bit and the textbook bit. its very scummy of schools to do that although on the flip-side i do understand that everyone needs to make a buck. </p>

<p>either way, excellent write up mate.</p>

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<p>I’ve really never met cruel or unusual. I work at a domestic violence shelter so I know some PEOPLE can be cruel, but mostly I do not find the world that way. I’ve had 4 or 5 jobs at least throughout college and never have I found it cruel. </p>

<p>As for the textbooks, my profs would actually recommend that we get the old ones. Or let us know that they were in the library. Most people were just too lazy to look. </p>

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<p>I haven’t found this to be the case either. I go to a very large research U and not only do I have a close relationship with many of my professors, but I also have a personal relationship with the dean of our college. As do most students in our college. </p>

<p>That’s all I’ll really comment on individually. You completely missed the mark IMO, but hey- we’re free to disagree ;). The world is not really a cruel place. Most people are fundamentally good.</p>

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<p>You have put the hammer on the head of a nail. Or something like that :P.
The good 'ol philosophical debates between men being generally good, or quite the opposite.<br>
You’ve got it figured out, and congrats. I’d like to say its not so corrupt other places, but it will be in due time.</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing!</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using CC</p>

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<p>Like x10
I start college in a month but I’m just beginning to realize how cruel the world can be.
Great read man everyone should see this.</p>

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<p>Obl and jsp, neither of you have started college yet. Don’t go in assuming the OP is true. Don’t be pessimistic.</p>

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<p>OP,
what did you do to help make the world a better place?
Each person on a campus leave it with their own personal stamp…what was yours?</p>

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<p>@romaingypsyeyes, oh believe me im not pessimistic about college whatsoever. I’m so much more than excited for it. I feel like this is more of a reality check than anything. Pretty much what I got from it was that you should just be comfortable with who you are (to sound incredibly cheesy) and that you should be aware that in the real world no one’s there to hold your hand and make most of your decisions like in high school. You’re in complete control of what you do.
Don’t know if thats the message the OP was trying to convey but those are the main points I got out of it. I don’t think he’s saying that college is an evil, terrible place that no one should go to, he’s just making people aware that it’s not all fun and games out there (sorta cynically as someone else said but yea)</p>

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<p>So… you learned that there are no other “correct” ways to live life besides what you believe? That there is a “perfect” way to live life that everyone should follow? You should read some Ayn Rand.</p>

<p>By the way, I’m not fully putting you down (although I admit, I’m being harsh… your post got me going!). I actually like Ayn Rand’s writings and I do think you made some valid points. However I also think that you could stand to be a little less pessimistic about others. Believe me I’ve witnessed people do absolutely terrible, appalling things to me and others, but I’ve also known people to be absolutely amazing. Not everyone else cheats. Not everyone else takes and doesn’t give. Not everyone else cares only for themselves.</p>

<p>Your post sounds closer to me in high school than me in college. I do agree, but please don’t carry only these negative lessons with you - realize there are still good things in the world! Appreciate them because as you’ve already realized, they’re not so abundant!</p>

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<p>Very enlightening. Thanks for taking the time to post.</p>

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<p>Eh, I agree with your assessment of the world being a cruel place for the most part.</p>

<p>The biggest thing I’ve learned is to not waste too much time trying to get good grades. You’re better off learning how to kiss someone’s ass (networking), because people place more stock in how you make them feel than whether or not you’re actually ****ing competent for a job.</p>

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<p>Stuff like this makes me think that some people really don’t go to the right college for them.</p>

<p>Textbooks: First semester: My professor didn’t even use a textbook for my Stats class, My French professor made his own which was pretty cheap (only like $20 or $30), My Theater professor told us to buy the previous edition (which was like $10-$15 on Amazon) and even used that to mark the syllabus, My other Theatre teacher made us buy about 4 or 5 plays (which are good to have as a Theatre major for monologues and such) which were each about $5-8. Second semester was basically the same story.</p>

<p>I became really close with some of my professors. Heck, in the Theatre department, there are house parties every opening night and most of the professors (including the Head of the department) shows up and everyone has a rocking time. Whenever I see my French professor, he always speaks to me (using my name) and asks me about my other French courses and what-not.</p>

<p>Food/Health: My university has a food center similar to what you’re speaking of, but there’s also a “Healthy Line” in addition to a Traditional Hot line (which is somewhat healthy) and a salad bar. So essentially, there are three different places to get “healthy” food. We also have a state-of-the-art athletics complex/physical fitness center. I’ve never seen anything like it at another university and it really is one of the best facilities in the nation.</p>

<p>I think that a lot of the stuff you mention later on is absolutely golden. But everything having to do with the actual school… I personally haven’t encountered most of those problems. I still have another three years to go, but from what I’ve seen and experienced, I don’t have the same feelings as you regarding those subjects.</p>

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<p>That is very true, at least in my situation.</p>

<p>I guess that is what happens to the college of top tiers and also the campus atomosphere.</p>

<p>I am living with many people in a small apartment. I have seen many conflicts and roommate dramas. There will be stubborn people and those who “think” they know when they actually don’t have any idea. </p>

<p>This is what happens in my case. I am sick and tired of people who don’t do useful things in life not even taking out books to read and all they do is gaming, gaming, and gaming, and even think they are better off than you. It doesn’t matter how much is trying to convince those people about their idiotic attitude they seldom take those to hearts. That’s when most conflicts occur, when those idiots think they are so high up and pretty much immersed in their own little world.</p>

<p>One thing I learnt after living with many people is to never share!! Most conflicts happen when the cost of groceries is split evenly and that people complain not having enough of this and that. DO NOT SHARE FOOD to other people!! I have made up my mind to only purchase my own share so that there will not be enough for others. One thing I learnt is to keep my hands off any possible conflicts. It is better to avoid than to cause it. It makes me want to vomit when people think they deserve everything, better treatment, and whatever they can think of, when all they do is just wasting their times on useless things like causing conflicts and suspecting.</p>

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<p>I knew people were cruel WAY before college. </p>

<p>My college experience has been awful. I thought it was going to be better at a university. It was worse. My roommate in the dorms stole from me, girls played pranks on me, girls threatened me, everyone talked about me, everything.</p>

<p>I hate college life. The only thing I do like about it is learning, flexible schedules, and the teachers. However, even teachers are messy and talk about each others and their students.</p>

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<p>I am a big believer in the lens that you see through determining what you see. I choose to see people as trustworthy, kind, and doing the best they can under the circumstances they have. Yes, perhaps 2 percent aren’t. But if I look through this lens, I see a whole lot of people who are wonderful. Example: last Sunday, my family was walking along when we saw a truck backing up. A middle aged woman was walking around the back, clearly distracted by her thoughts. When we yelled, she looked up and thanked up with a big smile. The driver also smiled and thanked us. Not 15 minutes later, a perfect stranger overheard me looking for a random square of plastic at Home Depot, and chose to walk me alllll the way across the store to the fencing department where I found what I needed for 67 cents. You get what you give, my friend. Look through a different lens!</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone for taking the time to read my post, I appreciate all your replies. I think we can all come to the conclusion that the world in the home, school, work, and community is a very dynamic place filled with lots of people. Lots of good, lots of evil, lots of neutral, lots of passion, lots of apathy. But to deny the existence of any of these facets is lunacy.</p>

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<p>On the whole textbook thing, at least the professors at my school try and help us out. One told us it really didn’t matter what edition we ended up buying for their class because the only difference between the previous and the new one was an added sentence, picture or two. And I’ve had many trying to set up ways where students can sell to each other, borrow them, or find cheaper websites since they are pretty ridiculous in price.
Oh jeez, and the cliques and drama still going on after high school, completely true. I’d like to laugh at those that told me college would be the best years of my life. I mean, true they are quite fun when it comes to classes/activities/independence… but when it comes to the social aspect I still have to deal with the same types of people. People that will immediately find their friends and snub everyone that looks their way. People that will talk to you once if you speak to them to ask for help or something, and then later act like they never met you.</p>

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<p>This is a bit on the cynical side, but I understand 100% where you’re coming from and I’ve been discussing things like this with my parents lately. I grew up pretty “sheltered” I guess (went to private school my whole life, grew up in the church, etc.) and never really had to experience the world on my own until last year. I was accustomed to having my parents or siblings transport me back to school, have teachers who cared/knew your name, and friends I’ve known since elementary school.</p>

<p>This past year, my freshman year of college, was by far one of the roughest years of my life in terms of having to grow up FAST, but I’m glad I had to endure it in the end, because I really grew and found what I really want out of life. At the end of my senior year, I had no idea what I wanted to do, I was extremely dependent, pessimistic, and didn’t get to attend my college of choice. I spent alot of time alone as all my friends went out-of-state, and felt I was failing miserably at everything. For the first time, I had to take public transportation in rain, sleet, or snow and handle adult responsibilities on my own. It only then hit me how passive, and cruel people could be when I started college. I was so used to having people greet me in the morning, talk, and behave genuinely. At my college, people would walk right past you and not even look you in the eyes, professors were indifferent, careless, people cutting you off, etc. and all of this was simply something I was not used to. But it toughened me up and gave me the motivation I needed to keep moving forward.</p>

<p>But, I know it was God’s will (Yes, I’m religious) and it impacted my life in a positive way. And now, as of 2 weeks ago, I was accepted to my first choice college and things are starting to fall into place.</p>

<p>It’s a dog-eat-dog world, but it’s not impossible to overcome and maintain happiness.</p>

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<p>Wow, I’m speechless. I agree with you totally. You have my full respect. Thank you for sharing that with all of us.</p>