Did you like your college experience?

@wigima5 (904)
United States
April 16, 2010 10:43pm CST
So many people say that college is supposed to be so amazing and a golden time. It's supposed to be a lot better than high school ever was, and many people like their college experience and say it was the best time in their lives. But, is it really? How was your college experience? Was it all that it was cracked up to be? Was it better than you expected? Worse? I'm worrying about this stuff because I'm going to college in 2 years, and so far people have been telling me that college is a lot better than high school, but I'm not so sure. It seems pretty scary to be going off to a different place, leaving all the people you know behind, plus the stress of choosing the right college and then figuring out how to pay for it. So, is it that much better? Or is it amazing with a lot more independence? Please tell me, I'd really like the input.
1 person likes this
11 responses
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
17 Apr 10
Hi wigima, it's cool that at this stage you already are giving college a lot of thought. Well for me I didn't adjust that much in college because my school was near home so I didn't have to leave anyone behind. I took up nursing school so the academic side was pretty tough especially in the last 2 years. But I guess, because I was mature, my parents allowed me to go out more often. Maybe it's because they trusted that I have gotten more responsible. I gained friends, new experiences. I was also financed by my relatives so I didn't have to make student loans or whatever. I could say that in my case college was a bit of a breeze compared to high school
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
19 Apr 10
Hi wigima, first off, college here is not so expensive. Well it does seem to drain your parent's budget but I guess compared to USA, our colleges here aren't really that skyrocketing expensive. My educational plan also helped me a lot! I forgot to mention that. My cousins in the states, they had to go for student loans. Others had to work and save up for college education. You might want to consider colleges which don't have to be that expensive, and nearer to home,
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
24 Apr 10
:| Why is college in the US SOO expensive??? its annoying. some countries have college for free!
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
18 Apr 10
Wow Lucky! grrr. recently my parents have all of a sudden said how they wont be able to pay for my college. my dad says tat possibly all he'll be able to save up is pbbly $10,000 n tats it. tats not even enough for one year of tuition. :( and then they got all mad at me for being surprised n said ill have to pay most of it myself, which stresses me out. n means lots of student loans. I was always feeling grateful to them and kinda bad for them having to pay for college, but now they made me feel crummy for thinking they would pay, which makes me mad. :/
• China
18 Apr 10
it appears that college days are more relax and less pressure,but indeed the pressure is potential, which means you must manage your time by yourself. besides, I believe you should not only focus on the study ,but also some campus activities like joining clubs. well, i think college life is more colorful than that in high school.
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
24 Apr 10
Thx I was planning to join a lot of clubs and organizations anyways. :)
@visijay32 (447)
• Philippines
17 Apr 10
College has been the most memorable part of my life. It overshadowed my high school years. In college you will meet other people from different backgrounds. What makes college special is the unpredictability of your classmates. Meaning, their with you this semester then they are gone by the next. Minds commingle with others giving you insights to life in a much deeper level. Stress in college is much difficult but fun. So enjoy your college years.
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
18 Apr 10
hmm, tats kinda nice to hear about how classmates change so often. I kinda hate how in high school you see the same people for 4 years. yea, u still have chances to be in classes with ur friends, but its stale. u can't ever meet anyone new, and its always the same exact drama and groups of friends and stuff like that. plus everyone already thinks they know who you are and if ur not part of their usual social clique they dont tend to ever talk to you. So I like this new splash of freshness. N yea, I raelize that college will pbbly be really stressful with all the work, but im there to learn. :)
@monkeylong (3139)
• Guangzhou, China
18 Apr 10
As far as I am concerned, I think I like my college life so much , which can be a very wonderful experience for me to experience that . For me, in my college days, I usually do a lot of things, at the same time, I will usually have a lot of spare time that have nothing to do. So how to manage the time in college must be a big problem.As a whole, I think the college will be a better choice for me. Have a nice day.
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
24 Apr 10
really? i would think itd be the opposite and youd have soooo much hw and no time for anything else.
• Australia
18 Apr 10
College is better than high school. Firstly,there are more activities that we can choose we like.secondly,you have more time to decide what life you want to go through in college.in terms of studying,you also can choose the class you like that develop your interest.More important ,you can make friend from all over your country and world. Don't be depressed.college is a wonderful place ,just try to accept it and enjoy it ,then develop some interest such as sports,dance,etc. It not only can kill the time , also easily make friends.
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
24 Apr 10
okay, cool! thx. :D
@ytinummi (57)
• Philippines
17 Apr 10
I think whether you will have a good experience in college all depends on how you will deal with things - and so many other factors - including of course, the things that will go your way. Many of these things are way out of your control. Personally, I couldn't compare high school and college. College is a whole new zone with new people and new experiences - way different from high school. And even if you had to be separated with your high school friends, doesn't mean you'll need to lose that connection. I find my college life (the academic zone) to really be tiresome mainly because of the course I took up, but then it was balanced with the time I spent with the kind of peers I had (including those high school pals I meet up with once in a while). All in all, I think it's about having fun and making the best out of what you've got. There's really nothing to be scared about college, most especially when you just remind yourself to always be in the right direction. You know, just constantly reminding yourself what purpose a college education has in your life, because even with the heightened independence, you also have more responsibilities. So it's really just about balancing fun and responsibilities.
@wigima5 (904)
• United States
17 Apr 10
Yea, well, tats part of the stress tho. I'm still not even sure what major I want to have in college! I have an idea of MAYBE what I'd like to major in. But idk, it might change once I get there! And it freaks me out cuz wat if I make the wrong choice? You have to pay for college and I don't like the idea of wasting money on the wrong classes. Idk, i get so many letters each day from schools. and it freaks me out. :S
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
17 Apr 10
I really enjoyed my college days as not only did I learn a lot with the various courses that I took but had fun with sports and other activities that I participated in both at school and outside of school. I was a nervous wreck when first starting out college as I did not know what to expect either. I went to smaller colleges so that may have helped as I am not sure how I would have done being in a bigger university. I liked high school a lot as well so I am not going to say one was better than the other. College education is expensive and hope that the college experience will go very well for you and that you do well with your classes and make new friends and keep in touch with old friends.
• Brazil
17 Apr 10
College was cool! I was a bad bad guy, haha, but a nice student. But the bad was waking up early, wahh so bad. :(
• China
17 Apr 10
Hi, there. My college life was a far cry from what I expected. Maybe I've got too much input from books and TV before going to college. :) But I don't say that I dislike my college life. It was a wonderful and necessary part of my life. At that point, I was excited and worried about my new life in college with so much joy and expectations. I know I had to move on no matter how much I miss my family and friends. There was once a senior, as I recall, told me to enjoy the time in the high school, cherish the friendship with the schoolmates. Now the same to you. Wish you all the best!
@markleob (1902)
• Philippines
17 Apr 10
i love challenges and that what made me love of where i am currently, A SENIOR COLLEGE STUDENT... being an engineering student is really not easy but studying the hard lessons and working at the same time make my college life so challenging and I LIKE IT!
• China
17 Apr 10
I think college experience is important for everyone. At least for me.