What's it REALLY like?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Everyone has preconceived notions of what college will be like, or at least everyone knows the stereotypical view of wild parties, drunk hook-ups and all-nighters that you see in movies etc.</p>

<p>But i was just wondering how many of these ring true, and how many of these preconceived notions are actually misconceptions.</p>

<p>For example, do you actually "discover" yourself at college?</p>

<p>Pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment due in the next day? Common/rare?</p>

<p>Are these parties as wild as they're made out to be? Or is that just hyperbole?</p>

<p>Is the experience overall as good as its made out to be? Or is the worry of financial stability and workload a constant pressure hanging over you?</p>

<p>(I know this will vary significantly between different people and colleges but im just speaking in generalisations here)</p>

<p>How many of your preconceived ideas turned out to be false, and how many true? The same goes for your friends etc. You get the idea.</p>

2

<p>I’ve definitely learned what I like, what I don’t like and what I’m good at – academically and outside of it. There wasn’t a wide enough range of classes in strange subjects to explore that in my hs. </p>

<p>All nighters have never happened to me. They definitely can if you choose to study mainly 2-3 days before a midterm/final, but that’s your choice. No assignments/exams have ever just popped up, so you can do them in advance if you want. Either way, there’s less exams and assignments. They’re longer and harder than in hs. </p>

<p>I think partying/drinking really relaxes after the first semester/year when it’s all new (if you didn’t go to boarding school). It might start out a little crazy.</p>

3

<p>I discovered a lot about myself, but that would probably happen with or without college. I think 18-22 is just a time that you make major developments as a person.</p>

<p>I’ve never really pulled an all-nighter. I’ve gotten three or four hours of sleep several times, and I’ve slept overnight in a lab once (long story) but I haven’t actually gone a whole night without sleeping. I know some people that put off their projects (and have project based classes) have to do them every once and a while.</p>

<p>Some of them are, some of them aren’t. I’ve been to parties where it was pretty much like you see in most of the movies (no, not the direct-to-dvd American Pie movies) but I haven’t been to TOO many like that. You can seek out that kind of thing, though, and you’ll probably find it.</p>

<p>I’ve had a blast. At the same time, though, I am ready to graduate. The financial stability thing will wear on you after a while if you’re supporting yourself through college, but the important thing is to work out a budget and stick to it. My workload has been rough (engineer) but manageable, and more manageable the further I got into my career. </p>

<p>The thing about college is you can really do whatever you want, as long as you can deal with the consequences. Whatever experience you want to have you probably can, but if that experience is one where you’re out partying 4 nights a week you’re going to pay the price. At the same time, if you stay in and don’t socialize (not necessarily at parties, but that’s a good place for it) there’s a price to pay there too.</p>

<p>If I had to pick one thing that I thought that ended up being false it was about what I wanted. When I got here I wanted to do “the college thing” where I stayed single and went out to crazy parties every weekend etc. etc. I did that freshman year, and it was a lot of fun. I settled down a little sophomore year but still had fun. Junior and senior year I might go out to two big parties a month, but most weekends I’d rather just hang out with my friends or go to a smaller party where I know everybody. The ‘going out all the time’ lifestyle is fun, but eventually you do start to want a little stability.</p>

4

<p>I have never pulled an all nighter. I have finished many assignments right before they were due though.</p>

<p>I don’t really think I’ve “discovered myself,” but I have discovered where I fit in within my college community, what I like to do here etc. </p>

<p>Parties at my school are lame…I never go. But partying isn’t really my scene anyway so it doesn’t really matter.</p>

<p>I love college so much! I think that it’s just as great as it’s made out to be. I’ve had such an awesome experience thus far, and I’m only a freshman. My school is such a good fit for me, and I’ve made really great friends and all that.</p>

5

<p>For example, do you actually “discover” yourself at college?</p>

<p>No. A lot of people think they discover themselves in college, and it can certainly feel that way - it is a rush of freedom if you’re dorming away from home, for example. But self-discovery is a life-long process, and if you are a decently emotionally mature person, you’ve probably been “finding yourself” for awhile now and realize that you’ll continue to do so for years to come. </p>

<p>Overall, people get what they wanna get out of their education. Kids who pay 50K a year to go to a school, say it’s the greatest thing that ever happened to them - they HAVE to say that to themselves, after all, they’re paying 50K a year, and if you don’t transform your life and have the most earth-shattering experience ever, it’s hard to justify that kinda cash ;). </p>

<p>The truth is, it’s all in your mind. Any moment in your life can be freeing, can be a time of great self-discovery, can be stressful, etc. You, not the college, must make of it what you will.</p>

6

<p>your college experience is whatever you make it yada yada yada…</p>

7

<p>I def. have not discovered what I what to do yet, so don’t think I’ve discovered myself. I’m leaning in certain directions, and have certainly found out what I don’t want to do.</p>

<p>I’m not much of party person, but on the occasions I’ve gone out they weren’t crazy like movies/shows make them to be. They’re just parties (many time theme parties) with lots of alcohol, people, and loud music.</p>

<p>I’ve pulled lots of all nighters. To either finish a paper or study for a test. I’ve been getting some what better about it, but it happens. I procrastinate more than I should. Sometimes I just have a ton of stuff in that week and not enough time.</p>

<p>This year, its not as much of the typical “college experience” you hear about. I transferred into a new major, and have to do 18credits for the rest of my time to graduate on time, coupled with work, volunteering, looking for internships, taking care of my dogs, and cooking for myself (I have an apartment) theres not much left for a social life. My first two years were by far more fun. </p>

<p>I kind of just want to finish and move on to the next phase of my life, whatever that will be.</p>

8

<p>For example, do you actually “discover” yourself at college?</p>

<p>With each experience, you discover something new about yourself. College is a unique experience, and I think you really learn a lot about who you are in college, but as someone else suggested, 18-22 is really a coming of age when people really develop their identity.</p>

<p>Pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment due in the next day? Common/rare?</p>

<p>Depends on the type of student you are. I’ve only done it once, and it wasn’t even really necessary.</p>

<p>Are these parties as wild as they’re made out to be? Or is that just hyperbole?</p>

<p>Yes, those parties do exist.</p>

<p>Is the experience overall as good as its made out to be? Or is the worry of financial stability and workload a constant pressure hanging over you?</p>

<p>That would depend on your financial situation. Neither have been an issue for me.</p>

9

<p>I don’t know if I’ve “discovered” myself in a dramatic sense, but I can definitely see that I’ve changed a lot as a person, and for the better, too.</p>

<p>The parties can be pretty wild, but don’t be fooled into thinking they will be all in-your-face. If you want crazy parties, you can definitely seek them out (depending on your school). If you dislike them, it’s fairly easy to stay detached from that area. College isn’t all about partying, contrary to what certain movies might have you believe. This is just one of those things you sort out yourself.</p>

<p>Have I ever pulled an all-nighter? No. Do I know kids that do? Yes. Although, personally, I think that’s more of a responsibility issue and serious students rarely do that.</p>

<p>I can’t say anything about the overall experience yet, since I’m still just a first-year…but some things I’d mention:</p>

<p>-A lot of it is pretty slow. Much of the day is spent studying, or, more likely, procrastinating. Kids spend a lot of time these days on their computers/TV/whatever. Not to be depressing or anything, you certainly have fun moments, but also your mundane ones (the college stereotype all too often focuses on the former). I mention this just because some people mistake their lives for being boring, comparing it their unrealistic expectations, when really that’s simply just the way it is.</p>

<p>-The concept of popularity has really faded. The number of friends you have really doesn’t matter anymore (unless your still stuck in high school mentality) and people aren’t obsessing over their real life friend counts. In high school, the emphasis was other people; in college, you emphasize yourself.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>I realize what I’m about to say might be controversial, but it seems that there is a lot of pressure to have a good time. Too much, really. Probably a result of all the hype; those crazy college stories and movies. Some people become bummed and disillusioned by reality; others might be delusional and exaggerate their experiences.</p></li>
<li><p>As umpc11 above stated, it’s all a matter of perspective and what’s going on in your head. Some people are outgoing and party a lot, but are pretty miserable on the inside. I personally don’t party and stick to myself a lot, but I’m actually happy over here (I’ve always been an introvert, but I’ve managed to pull off being pretty social when I needed to be)</p></li>
</ul>

10

<p>I can’t say you discover yourself in college. College helps with that, but it’s really a personal effort you have to make in order to soul search</p>

<p>Pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment due in the next day? Common/rare?</p>

<p>I pull several all-nighters. I’m only a freshman, and I’ve lost count of how many nights I have stayed up and how many were in a row. A lot of it last semester was because I procrastinated, but I have learned my lesson now, and even when I work all day on assignments, it isn’t enough, and I have to stay up, usually all night, just to get them done.</p>

<p>Are these parties as wild as they’re made out to be? Or is that just hyperbole?</p>

<p>Parties are pretty wild. I believe they’re a lot crazier at big schools, since people aren’t worried about being seen on campus the next day. Smaller schools, eh, there’s less going on, less people to talk about, so people are more wary of that and aren’t as wild.</p>

<p>Is the experience overall as good as its made out to be? Or is the worry of financial stability and workload a constant pressure hanging over you?</p>

<p>So far, college has been one of the worst experiences of my life. I know that I was handed the **** bucket last semester, and I’m still trying to recover from it, or at least get out of it. It could be me, or that the campus is too small for what I want. I didn’t have that many expectations out of college…just a few, such as if you work hard and go to study sessions and try and get a tutor when you can, then you won’t do bad on an exam, and that at least one of my roommates spoke English and didn’t take my stuff, and that I wouldn’t be ill all the time. (all were proven to be too high of expectations for me apparantly.) Financial stability is possibly one of my biggest stressors here, along with constant workload that keeps me up day and night. The school is one of the most expensive in the country, but I did get a substantial amount of scholarships, by the time I graduate I’ll be in over 100k of debt, and if I dislike it here and I’m paying that much I don’t think it’s worth it, except maybe the good professors. </p>

<p>How many of your preconceived ideas turned out to be false, and how many true? The same goes for your friends etc. You get the idea.</p>

<p>-Some classes that you take at a prestigious college you will NEED to have had background classes of at least 2-3 years to be able to do well (mostly sciences)</p>

<p>-Parties get old…fast.</p>

<p>-It’s really easy to get sick, you will most likely get at least two things in a semester</p>

<p>-A liberal arts college will probably not help you in finding what you want to major in, if you’re undecided.</p>

11

<p>For example, do you actually “discover” yourself at college?</p>

<p>~I wouldn’t say I “discovered” myself, but I definitely discovered friends and interests that weren’t as clearly defined before. I know where I fit in a bit more, and I think that has to do with being more comfortable in my surroundings and my willingness to be more outgoing (than I was in high school). </p>

<p>Pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment due in the next day? Common/rare?</p>

<p>~I’ve definitely pulled a few all-nighters…mostly due to procrastination, but sometimes the courseload can be pretty rough as well. I have found that the college curriculum is a lot more challenging and intellectually stimulating than high school was. </p>

<p>Are these parties as wild as they’re made out to be? Or is that just hyperbole?</p>

<p>~They can be. My freshman year I went to a series of frat parties that were a bit nuts. Sophomore year I realized that I wasn’t as keen about those parties, and that I preferred a more chill, not as crazy atmosphere with friends at a house/apt. party instead. But still, the stories never cease… </p>

<p>Is the experience overall as good as its made out to be? Or is the worry of financial stability and workload a constant pressure hanging over you?</p>

<p>~For me it was. Obviously with such freedom comes great responsibility (as the Spiderman adage goes) but freedom and independence suits me well. I also have 2 jobs as I am poor as heck, but I happen to like working and being busy (and the pressure it puts on me to perform not just in school but in other arenas feels nice; I like challenges). </p>

<p>How many of your preconceived ideas turned out to be false, and how many true? The same goes for your friends etc. You get the idea.</p>

<p>I guess I didn’t have that many preconceived ideas…I wanted to make lots of friends, try new things, like my classes, be in a different environment…all of those came true. As a word of advice, all of these things can be yours, but a large part of it is up to you and the decisions you make coming into college.</p>

12

<p>For example, do you actually “discover” yourself at college?
I think you “discover” new aspects about yourself when put in new situations, which can range from college - to living in a foreign country. I hope all the learning about myself is confined to just college.</p>

<p>Pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment due in the next day? Common/rare?
Obviously this is going to vary by person, but in general, no I don’t pull all-nighters. I enjoy sleeping. A lot. I’d rather get it over with as soon as possible instead of sacrificing my precious sleep.</p>

<p>Are these parties as wild as they’re made out to be? Or is that just hyperbole?
Depends on what type of party you’re attending and what type of people are there.</p>

<p>Is the experience overall as good as its made out to be? Or is the worry of financial stability and workload a constant pressure hanging over you?
In general, I’m a stressed out person. It isn’t directly related to college; it’s just in my personality, I suppose. So yes, I’m constantly feeling pressure but I do in all situations, not just college.</p>

<p>How many of your preconceived ideas turned out to be false, and how many true? The same goes for your friends etc. You get the idea.</p>

<p>**Elaborate. Preconceived ideas aren’t just related to college. You can think you have someone’s personality pegged just because of their race, or sexual orientation, or because you think they’re a jock or a geek. So, I don’t know how to answer this question. It’s just part of life and it can be hard not to hold preconceived ideas about people, events, ideas, etc. **</p>

13

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<p>No, I wouldn’t say so. As someone has mentioned earlier, self-discovery is a life-long process. However, I would say college has made me more self-aware in ways that I haven’t thought of when I was younger. </p>

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<p>Never. I never pulled an all-nighter in high school either, and that’s probably because I always do my work incrementally and never at the last minute. While everyone starts their papers a week before it is due, I usually start mine weeks ahead of time and spend a small amount of time working it on it each day. Eventually, it becomes a five page paper in a matter of a few weeks. </p>

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<p>I haven’t really partied in college at all, mostly since I am a commuter student and I have too many responsibilities outside of school at home. I never stay on campus past 3PM, hence I don’t see too many parties.</p>

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<p>My experience, to be quite frank, has been a mildly negative one. I do well academically and I would say that I am hardly stressed schoolwork-wise, but being a commuter student has seriously dampened my ability to socialize with others and make friends. I regret going to school so close to home, but I am stuck where I am, unfortunately, because of a relatively generous financial aid package.</p>

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<p>I knew I would be commuting for a long time, so many of my predictions turned out to be completely true. However, I did not anticipate that making friends and getting to know people would be so difficult being one.</p>

<p>Quite frankly, for me, college sucks. But at least I have the rest of my life to look forward to later, as soon as I obtain my degree and suitable employment.</p>

14

<ul>
<li><p>Everyone has preconceived notions of what college will be like, or at least everyone knows the stereotypical view of wild parties, drunk hook-ups and all-nighters that you see in movies etc. But i was just wondering how many of these ring true, and how many of these preconceived notions are actually misconceptions.</p></li>
<li><p>For example, do you actually “discover” yourself at college?</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I think I reaffirmed who I was more than anything else. A lot of ‘discovering’ yourself per se is being prepared to defend what you think and why.</p>

<ul>
<li>Pulling an all-nighter to finish an assignment due in the next day? Common/rare?</li>
</ul>

<p>That wasn’t really common all that much, especially getting into the major. People who did that continuously didn’t pass.</p>

<ul>
<li>Are these parties as wild as they’re made out to be? Or is that just hyperbole?</li>
</ul>

<p>To be honest, it’s a lot of hype. Sure there are some crazy people out there, but my experience was BBQ’ing was a lot more popular.</p>

<ul>
<li>Is the experience overall as good as its made out to be? Or is the worry of financial stability and workload a constant pressure hanging over you?</li>
</ul>

<p>It definitely gets better as you get further along.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>(I know this will vary significantly between different people and colleges but im just speaking in generalisations here)</p></li>
<li><p>How many of your preconceived ideas turned out to be false, and how many true? The same goes for your friends etc. You get the idea.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I was surprised by how many people, along with myself, who WEREN’T into the party scene. That and everyone always on the phone with an IPOD (lol).</p>

15

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

<p>Don’t come in with expectations</p>

16

<p>Good thread. I have a question I’d like to add – for those of you who live on campus, is it a better or worse experience than you anticipated? How often do people get matched with a hyperbolically crazy roomate?</p>

17

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<p>Truthfully, and I know this is going to an unsatisfying answer, it really does depend on your arrangement. It’s random. I ended up with a good roommate and have become good friends with people all around the hall. For me, the experience was better than I imagined it to be (I imagined it to be annoying/obnoxious).</p>

<p>On the other hand, I know several people who absolutely despise their roommates. Things never get out of hand; it’s usually just a tense environment when this happens, likely with some trash talk behind backs or someone moving out. Other rooms are very neutral; the people barely know each other and are fine with it. For these people, the awkwardness of rooming with someone you barely talk to fades away pretty fast. All halls are a mixed bag of these scenarios, so it’s usually not like “that hall sucks, this hall is awesome.”</p>

<p>The only thing that annoys me about living in the dorm is the people constantly bothering you. Sometimes, I just want to sit around alone and relax, doing homework or playing video games, but I rarely get moments like that anymore because either my roommate is in here or people are knocking on the door and asking to hang out.</p>

18

<p>^^ spam spam spam</p>