<p>Lets set the stage with what 99% of what people who advocate going to college says:</p>
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[quote]
"Like OMG!! college is the bestestestttt 4 years of your life. Like no other years in life will match your college years. Like you meet so many different people and like you meet your bestest friends forever here!"
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Now obviously this is exaggerated. I would hope no one defends college with that exact claim. But on to my question. What are your opinions on college? Do you think it's overrated? DO you think it's a nice experience? What? And I BEG of all of you to refrain from the "college is what you make of it" comments. We know that. Anything in life is what you make of it so singling out college as "what you make of it" is kinda silly. </p>
<p>Edit: Not to be mean or anything, but can incoming freshman refrain from posting "what they think college is going to be like" here? I don't mind you posting here but there's nothing more annoying than incoming freshman who think they know all and then when they get to college and see how different it is they want to run here and fill the forums with "It's been a week and still made no friends!!!" threads. </p>
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<p>For me, I think college is nice. You meet different people, you hear different views/opinions. You have people who come from different walks of life and it's nice to see that everyone has a different story to tell. Furthermore, some of the courses you take are interesting. However, I do think certain aspects are over-hyped. Though we probably meet "interesting" people, you can meet interesting people during later and other stages in life. You can meet your "best friends for life" during later stages in life as well (i.e. I remember reading from a user here named "williamsdad" stating that he didn't meet his best friend in either high school or college but some other stage in his life -- I forgot where though). </p>
<p>Aside from this, I wouldn't want college to be the "best 4 years of my life." I wouldn't want my best 4 years of my life to have been achieved by the young age of 21. Also, I think I should make every year to be the best year of my life and forget the hype about particular years. I just feel hyping certain years is a recipe for unnecessary disappointment. </p>
<p>So all in all, I would say college is nice. I wouldn't say and wouldn't want these to be my best 4 years of my life, but I certainly think my college years would be some of my memorable years.</p>
<p>My dad said HS would be the best years of my life… not so. One thing though, as a 29 year old, I’ll say somthing I’m not sure younger people know. Moments only become “the best” or “the worst” in retrospect… well not totally. For example, my happiest time was the 6 month AIT training I did in pensacola after boot camp. At the time, I didn’t realize it (ur always expecting better), but it was the happiest time, even though I experienced some bad things-- punishment, lonliness, depression (hey I was 19). My years stationed in Germany come in second. But I think the best years of ur life will be when ur young and unjaded. As you get older, u’ll get jaded. happiness will loose it’s newness and time will seem to flow faster-- experieces will loose a kind of novelty. Ca you imagine how great it would be to regain ur joy at christmas whe you were 5? Maybe it’s different past 29 or if you have kids.</p>
<p>About college, it has become a political tool – don’t think the ecomomic aspects of colleges are not exploited from every direction. I dont feel like I’ve picked up any skils. classes are pedantic and not focused on teaching skills. Everything is watered down with liberal arts (I like liberal arts). For example, I had to take a gen ed art history class online. The book was $177. It’s like you pay to read the book. I got an A-… but I think watching a few you tube videos would have equaly expanded mind. That must be the goal, to make sure u can have interesting conversations, because my major is unrelated.</p>
<p>PS. I define “best years” as the happiest… and I think classifying stages of life ike that is useful-- or maybe not, but our brains are gona classify regardless of what we want.</p>
<p>Thankfully nobody ever said HS would be the best years of my life. And I’m glad they were not. The best? Really? You’re implying that the peak is at the crummy ages of 14-18 and after that it’s downhill? To hell with that, I’ve still got a few decades to go. </p>
<p>I think college is pretty fine. I love learning new things and I love being around people who like to learn as well. You do get some slackers in big classes that are often taken to satisfy general education requirements but you also get some serious students and they’re a great influence to be around. I like the feeling of freedom I have in college. Even commuting last year I felt much more grown up than I did in high school. </p>
<p>But I also haven’t found it to be a greatly enlightening and enriching experience on par with achieving nirvana as some people on here make it out to be. No wild ragers, no crazy hookups or awesome relationships. Haven’t made super solid friends. I enjoy the learning aspect but frankly I want to get my degree and get a job that I want to wake up to. Perhaps that opinion will change should I start having a real ‘college experience’ but so far I see it as simply another stepping stone toward starting real life. I dream of having a modest but comfortable home in a quiet beautiful neighborhood (either up in the sticks or by the water) and a sports car. Hard to get those without a college degree (and the jobs you can only get with one) or lots of years of experience in a trade.</p>
<p>e: Completely agree with you about the hype thing, Stratus. I blame media, people who pine for their younger days and my own naivety for my feelings of being underwhelmed by college.</p>
<p>4 great years, maybe, but I wouldn’t call them the four best years of my life. I’m looking forward to do a lot of fun, exciting and meaningful things with my life, so if college is as good as it gets, well… I’m in for some trouble.</p>
<p>I agree. College is fun, but it’s not all downhill from here.</p>
<p>MY theory is that many employers requre degrees for political reasons. On one hand, degrees are purchased “job coupons” on the other, if incentive is given to purchasing degrees, the goverment is benefitting through taxes. Isn’t is slightly that way?</p>
<p>There is a bus that takes people all aroud campus. it makes round every 15 minutes. But while on the bus, no one talks to eachother. everyone wul make a effort NOT to sit next to anyone… like if 3 people enter, they wil sit furthest from eachother. There is a late- night drunk bus too… i gotta ride that.</p>
<p>Biologically, it is downhill after some point (before 25). Plus, matbe this “best years” thig is just being independant and discoverring adulthood.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s at all possible to determine which years of your life are the best. In your late teens/early 20s, yes college is the best time since it’s a time to find yourself and start to make your way in the world with few responsibilities. In your late 20s/early 30s, your career defines the best part of your life because it’s your time to get yourself established. Later, it’s family, and so on. </p>
<p>At different points in your life, you generally want and need different things. It’s impossible to compare these 4 years to the rest of the time periods in your life- you have to do it within the context of your age and responsibilities at the time. </p>
<p>I have loved my college experience. I was able to really find what I wanted to do in life and I really don’t think I would have found it otherwise. It’s something rather obscure and it was from getting to know professors in that field that pointed me in that direction. Without that, I probably would have just blindly followed what I wanted in high school (and I have found that it really wasn’t what I thought it was- within the context of school rather than failing at a paying job). I have met incredible people and was able to find my passions while being independent and yet having a fall-back. </p>
<p>I hope that makes sense. It makes sense in my head I’m just having a hard time putting it into words lol.</p>
<p>I’m not so sure. Happiness is a univesal human need and goal, so id you define best as happiest…</p>
<p>I read a book by a survivor of the Bataan death march (WWII philippines). He was 80 or so, and he identified happiest “stages” of his life.</p>
<p>Hmm, odd. I never figured out what I want to do. As an oldest son, who had many responsiblities at an early age, and dealiing with several relocations to other states, the shift to adulthood was no big deal for me. I alao don’t want to marry and i don’t want a family. So I think we’re different.</p>
<p>After speaking to some students at the school I’m going attend, I think I’m going to enjoy the upcoming 4 years, not for the typical reasons of partying and “4 best years of your life” though. Personally, I am quite excited to start in September. I can’t wait to develop my problem-solving skills, learn about the universe from experts in their fields, and participating in the first research projects of my career and hopefully publish something at least before I finish undergrad. </p>
<p>I know I am just a lowly incoming freshmen and I may not learn or do any of the things I am hoping to do, but I sure I’ll be able to accomplish all of these goals before graduate school.</p>
<p>@Romani: I don’t think anyone is here comparing a set of years to another set of years, but I see what everyone is saying. To be 21 and say “the last 4 years of my life has been the best 4 years of my life” is a pretty bold statement to make. At 21, we’re young and literally have our lives ahead of us to do so much. I know there are different stages in life, but years are years regardless of what “stage” they come from.</p>
<p>
Um no, it’s the exact opposite. To be 21 and say that the last four years have been the best four years means that, out of those 21 years, the past four have been the best. Seeing as most people don’t remember much before age 10 or so, middle school is awkward, and high school is lame, that’s a pretty easy statement to make a lot of the time. </p>
<p>Now if you substitute “will be” for “has been,” that’s then a different story.</p>
<p>^^^Good catch. What I meant to say is like saying the college is the best 4 years of your life without even have lived your potential years (i.e. substitute “will be” for “has been”) is a bold statement to make.</p>
<p>Good catch.</p>
<p>But we are not all 21, and we are not defining college as “4 years.” Additionally, not everyoe attends college right out of highschool. Plus, I remember back to age 3.</p>
<p>^ I know that but I’m speaking in general. The general population who attends college goes straight after HS. Obviously that shoe doesn’t fit for everyone.</p>
<p>Ahh, good point. I think most of the college students in my state are not right out of HS though.</p>
<p>Leo:
-The statement I quoted said “To be 21 and say…” (emphasis added). </p>
<p>-It was also implied that the quote pertained to the typical scenario of someone going to high school and then college directly afterwards for four years (although, on average, most college grads are probably 22). </p>
<p>-Yes, you may remember back to age 3. I remember back to age 2. But I said that “most people don’t remember much before age 10 or so” (emphasis added). In other words, most people would not remember enough to say that the four preceding years were the best years of their life. Some might. Others might piece together what it was like to be that young, then claim that those were the best four years. That’s probably based more on style of life (lack of responsibilities, innocence, etc.) than any collection of definitive memories.</p>
<p>College is an institute where in you spend tons of money to possibly recieve a piece of paper that only guarantees you debt.</p>
<p>Personally, I’ve had a great college experience so far. I’ve learned a lot academically and have been exposed to different views and peoples from around the world. I’m able to study what I want to pursue later in life with professors who know and love what they’re teaching, and are fantastic people to get to know overall. I’ve made friends that I can truly say I will try to maintain a close friendship for the rest of my life. It’s made me more independent, not to mention fun is alway easily accessible when you need to wind down. Study hard, party hard.</p>
<p>I can say college has been the best two years of my life so far (going to be a junior in the fall). Of course, I hope it’s not the end all of the happiness in my life, because that’d just be unfortunate.</p>