College sucks...

[Crashed]

Time to show my age a bit.

I've only gone through ONE day of my senior year of high school. It's really fun, nobody expects anything from you (unless you're me and foolishly in charge of a lot of school organizations...), and you pretty much just get to do whatever you want.

That's because the entire year is spent focusing on college. I've never been one to stress about college, however... at the beginning of the summer, my parents decided to let me know (two months before applications opened!) that despite what they may have told me in the past, I have $0 saved for college.

Now, I never expected to not have to come up with some money on my own, though I've always been reassured I'd have their support.

So... as I stay up late before school tomorrow trying to finish scholarship application after scholarship application, I've hit a wall. My family makes a very decent amount of money. An amount so decent that I will likely NOT be receiving many of the scholarships that I apply for.

I guess this wouldn't be an issue if that money did not get diffused (and blown) into different things. There are three other children that they are raising, one is two be sent off to college two years after me. My family also has a knack for buying useless things (i.e. cars) at random and blowing all of our money. Everything I own (aside from food, clothing, and... room furniture, I guess) I've had to buy myself (my car, this game, and pretty much everything included). I do not receive any aid from my parents unless I'm in a REALLY big hole, which isn't a bad thing and I'm quite used to it.

Paying a $30,000 tuition? I'm freaking the hell out.

I have always wanted to leave Texas as far as colleges go. Now... it's looking like I'm stuck here for cheaper costs.

This is stressing me out to no end. I don't know how I'm gonna pull this off.

/rant

[iggy880]

Dude, that's my exact story, except for I have an older brother who already went through college. Yes he had some better grades, but he got to go out to Maryland. Me, I'm about to move in tomorrow for Sophmore year. I wanted nothing more then to get out of state, I even got accepted to a few I wanted(not the one I really wanted mind you) and only applied to one in state for my parents sake(coincidentally I'm in Texas as well) Anyways, long story short, I tell my parents which of the ones that took me I want to go to, and I'm told they expect me to stay in state, at least for the first few years, because they can't afford it. Basically I got shafted with my safety school in state because my parents support to go wherever I wanted dropped more then half-way through applying. And now my brother, two years younger then me and now a senior, is looking at just about any school he wants and I'm betting he'll get it.

I was embittered at the start of last year and decided to just go with chilling more and took studying to easy and hurt myself and had to dig myself out of a hole second semester, and need to even more this year if I intend to ever transfer. So I don't recommend taking college lightly. I did all AP class in High School and I thought it would be so much easier then that, and sometimes classes are but for the most part if you go in thinking like that you lose way to much ground. Though I will say the school I ended up at is a lot better then I thought and its a good time and good to live at, though it is far to close to home for me(I went home each weekend last year, mainly to get restocked on food without paying myself) but its something I gotta make due with.

Anyways, I'm stuck at UNT in Denton if you wanna check it out, though not sure what you plan to major in or where you live, but its not bad. Though I will say that if I could do it again, with the knowledge that I would be stuck in state because I had no support(aside from parents paying some of loan interest) then I think I would've applied to a few others though I still may have ended up here and that wouldn't be to bad.

[razoras]

Is that 30K a year or for 4 years?

[Bitter Babe]

You could possibly still be able to get out of state, depending on the school and financial aid package. Public schools don't give the best ones, maybe look into some smaller private colleges, they are usually more generous with financial aid even if they are more expensive.

[Grae Knight]

Word of caution tough love incoming..

Cry me a river. Get a job and work through college and get student loans to supplement what you can not get through work. I never thought I would say this, in my college years many people worked their way through college with no financial help from family. My brother who is now a successful Nuclear Engineer and a Vice President with Duke Power worked at Burger King for 4 years while attending NC State.

My other brother dispatched at night for the campus police and joined the National Guard to help pay for school.

I worked at Food Lion while attending college and when I could not get enough hours there, delivered pizzas.

Tighten up and prepare yourself for a tough 4 years, but when you get through it you will be 10 times the person you were going into it. I know it sucks that you had thought your parents were saving money to send you to college but rest assured, with the economy the way it is and has been, alot of students will be running into the same situation.

Lastly, there is nothing wrong with state colleges and Texas does have a few good ones. Unless you plan to major in some very specialized field you should be fine. Even if you do, for example, you can get a Bachelor of Science (a general degree in science) and then get a Masters in your more specialized field somewhere else afterwards.

So Cold, you are going to be fine. Just stay focused on what you are doing the last year of high school and keep your hopes up. Colleges have tons of programs to help out "independent students", I know, I was one of them.

Good luck dude and keep filling out the scholarship apps, you may get lucky :)

[bpphantom]

Athabasca FTW!

[RedSwitchblade]

Word of caution tough love incoming..

Cry me a river. Get a job and work through college and get student loans to supplement what you can not get through work. I never thought I would say this, in my college years many people worked their way through college with no financial help from family. My brother who is now a successful Nuclear Engineer and a Vice President with Duke Power worked at Burger King for 4 years while attending NC State.

My other brother dispatched at night for the campus police and joined the National Guard to help pay for school.

I worked at Food Lion while attending college and when I could not get enough hours there, delivered pizzas.

Tighten up and prepare yourself for a tough 4 years, but when you get through it you will be 10 times the person you were going into it. I know it sucks that you had thought your parents were saving money to send you to college but rest assured, with the economy the way it is and has been, alot of students will be running into the same situation.

Lastly, there is nothing wrong with state colleges and Texas does have a few good ones. Unless you plan to major in some very specialized field you should be fine. Even if you do, for example, you can get a Bachelor of Science (a general degree in science) and then get a Masters in your more specialized field somewhere else afterwards.

So Cold, you are going to be fine. Just stay focused on what you are doing the last year of high school and keep your hopes up. Colleges have tons of programs to help out "independent students", I know, I was one of them.

Good luck dude and keep filling out the scholarship apps, you may get lucky :)

This. Time to stop crying and start looking really long and hard at your outlook on life. College, in my opinion, is a necessity. These aren't walls, they're obstacles. I lived my whole four years on loans, LOST my scholarships after the first semester, and became an RA to undercut my costs.

I still graduated with 60,000 in debt and a useless degree.

The only thing that's stopping you from making this work is you. Don't rely on anyone else, because Grae is right - tough situations merit tough decisions. In four years you'll be on your own anyway, and what then? If you got help now, you'd be worse off after graduation trying to find a job with the pile of debt you're going to have.

So start growing into your future role of mature and self-sufficient role now, and you'll be ready for anything. I wasn't. I wish I had been.

[Bitter Babe]

Have to agree. I wish I had done things differently before I went to school and during. I have a BA in Political Science I haven't used and still have debt because of it (and I'm 30 and still have no real idea what I would like to do). I worked while going to school full time and had to move back in with my parents but I had no choice. I got my paralegal certificate while working full time at my current job.

Do you have a job right now?

[itsthesheppy]

Hi. College grad here.

My experience? I only really applied with any enthusiasm to a couple colleges, and mostly because my parents would have effectively disowned me if I didn't seek higher education. I ended up going to Goddard College. I'm currently in the possession of a $17,000 piece of paper that I can wave in poeples faces if they ask for proof that I can spend a couple years researching shit, and then write coherently about the stuff I researched.

What has the degree done for me? More or less nothing. I've never had a job that required the degree, unless you could substitute teaching, which was a joke because it payed peanuts and can be done easily by chimps.

Unless you go to college to learn a tradeskill, or unless you have very specific ambitions for a masters degree, then a bachelors is a fairly useless degree. It's about one or two degrees more prestigious than a high school diploma, and costs tens of thousands of dollars more. You will be in debt for the rest of the forseeable future with no true benefit.

If you DO have specific masters degrees in mind that you're shooting for, I offer you this caveat: the guy who repairs my car has a masters degree in zoology. He's in his late forties, and has never once had a job where he worked with animals. You have NO idea, at your age, where your life will take you.

Unless you're at an Amadeus Cho level of forsight and planning, in which case you have nothing to worry about, and I for one welcome our new future overlord.

[Yin]

Minimize the amount of loans you have to take out as much as possible. I have friends who are well over $20k in debt right now, and the school we attended was cheap ($9k a year). If it's $30k a year then I think you need to look elsewhere. You'll be paying that back in the afterlife unless you're going to make $150+ k a year after school once you get into your career.

Honestly, if you just go to a school in-state that is a few hours away from home you'll be fine. I wanted to originally go to Florida for school, or one of the many HBCUs down South, but I picked a university that was two hours from home and it worked out just fine. Whenever I wanted to go home I could, and I wasn't stuck on campus during Thanksgiving Break or Spring Break like my friends who were 6+ hours away from home. You'll find it convenient (especially Freshman year) to be close enough to home but at the same time far enough to get the distance you need from it.

[suburbanhell]

Word of caution tough love incoming..

Cry me a river. Get a job and work through college and get student loans to supplement what you can not get through work.

Bingo. I worked 3 jobs at the same time while going through college and taking on student loans. Hard? You bet. Impossible, not so much. I haven't not worked since I was 14 years old.

Don't listen to people when they say you can do whatever you want and that you'll be successful to your wildest imagination either because only a small handful of people on the planet ever see that kind of success. Kids need to harden the fuck up, people coddle them too much now and that's not how life works. Self-sufficiency is key, you learn real fast you can't depend on anyone around you.

Life is a series of shitfuck routines you just trudge through to get home and enjoy the small portion of it that actually matters.

[Galactoman]

...and a useless degree.
I have a BA in Political Science I haven't used...
What has the degree done for me? More or less nothing.

...

I have no college degree. My mother has an associates degree in accounting, and she works retail. My father didn't get a degree until he was in his early thirties, at which time he was already a quality-control engineer for a large tech firm.

I hate the current concept that college is just "High School Part 2: This Time You Gotta' Pay!" It's not mandatory for survival, or even success.

Like Sheppy said; if you have a specific trade in mind, then go for it. Then Grae's words most definitely apply. There's nothing undignified about Working Your Way Through College; millions of people have done it. You take out some loans, get as much financial aid as you can, and try to remember to eat and sleep sometimes.

However, If you're just going because it's what people do... save yourself the money and just dive head-first into the real world.

And either way... If you want to head out-of-state, just go. There are universities, state colleges, and community colleges everywhere. The job situation is pretty much the same everywhere. Pick a spot, pack your shit, and go.

[Gold Rush]

Oh yes, I agree with Grae's advice completely. Actually, work on/near campus can be good for your social life, especially if you work with folks who go to school or are your same age.

It is funny how all these stories parallel. I was in a similar situation; parents always wanted me to go. They had good money. None of it was saved for me to go to college. It also happened that they had a down-turn in business and (they thought) they couldn't afford to send me. Then there's the fact they "didn't want to be alone" and other factors (their own business).

So, I went locally. I had a very nice car, though (they paid for that). I didn't have any "big" plans for college anyway, although I wanted one degree (Arts) and got another (Business), again, parents trying to be "logical" and fill me with their worries. :P Meh, you really are young and have alot of the world on your plate at that age. Independent, but can stay with parents. It is easy to bounce back, even if there are financial worries. I know, the "voice of experience" does not help you out and you will have to discover it for yourself in your own life. It may not be glamorous working at Burger King, but it can be memorable and even fun at times, especially if you make some friends at work.

There are plenty of great schools in Texas, even though you may express hatred for it. Rice University is a top-ranked school on many lists. University of Texas also is a fairly top-ranked school; the best is the main campus at Austin. Austin is a great place (although stuck in a weird "Time Warp" imo). San Marcos has a nice party school (if that is what you want...). Southern Baptist at Waco also boasts some nice programs and keeps growing. Texas A&M in College Station is also climbing the ladder of respectability and the town has grown enough in recent years to boast more college-life value than the "cow tipping" that was popular years past (plus it is centrally located; easy trips to Austin, Dallas, and Houston by car).

Heck, even the small colleges can be "fun" and have good programs and teachers. College life may not be "Animal House", but it can still be fun with friends that you've made or keep during college years.

Even if it is close to your home, you should have your share of adventures.

[Galactoman]

Self-sufficiency is key, you learn real fast you can't depend on anyone around you.

Life is a series of shitfuck routines you just trudge through to get home and enjoy the small portion of it that actually matters.
Damn, duder, you've been taking angry-pills lately.

[suburbanhell]

Nah. I just don't sugarcoat things like others do. I might come off harsh but I'm honest, people can take me with a grain of salt if the want, but I've experienced enough through a couple of lifetimes worth of shit, so for the most part I know what I'm talking about.

[Gold Rush]

Damn, duder, you've been taking angry-pills lately.

LOL! He always seems angry and comes across at such, but he ain't a bad guy. Just gruff! :D

[Bitter Babe]

Yeah, he's just very blunt but it's from life experience. Or we can just call him a Mass-hole ;) Just kidding honey! :P

[Bitter Babe]

If Cold doesn't have a specific idea of what he wants to do I would suggest maybe working and taking some community college courses to see if something there sparks a passion. I always wanted to be a lawyer, then I started working with them and well there went that dream. I just really want to work some where that I'm appreciated and that I enjoy what I do.

[suburbanhell]

I will say, if you don't know what you want but you still are definitely into wanting to do the college thing, take the first year to get your gen eds out while you're trying to figure out what exactly it is you care to do. If you're at all not sure about college? Take the year off. Work, get your shit in order, then apply for college when ready, just don't wait too long if it's definitely on your do want list.

[Akamaz]

if the credits are transferrable get your gens out of a community college, the money you save may be your own...

burbs=Grumpy bear, tellin the truth whether you wanna hear it or not.

http://www.miacarmel.com/images/2007/05/care-bears-desktop-wallpaper-grumpy-bear.jpg

[Bitter Babe]

LOL that is the best description of him ever

[RedSwitchblade]

If Cold doesn't have a specific idea of what he wants to do I would suggest maybe working and taking some community college courses to see if something there sparks a passion. I always wanted to be a lawyer, then I started working with them and well there went that dream. I just really want to work some where that I'm appreciated and that I enjoy what I do.

I went to college but it was more like "going through the motions", and after 4 years, got a degree in bring undertrained for Web Design in an oversaturated market AFTER the .com boom.

4 years, and $60,000 debt, to say "I should have done astronomy or oceanic/atmospheric science". Or even a writer.

Know thyself before making an investment.

[suburbanhell]

Know thyself before making an investment.

This.

[Bitter Babe]

Exactly!

[Akamaz]

it took me a year of school and 9k in student loans to realise that one fact. it took me that long to realise that the market for my degree was practically nil, just because local colleges were giving it away as a design school degree. not even a Bachelors in science or in the arts, but frigging bachelors in Design....

[Poison]

Know thyself before making an investment. Not only an investment, but also a commitment.

I studied for 4 years and have my diploma in communication design. And like others here, I haven't used that degree for anything since. The only thing that time did for me is that I met some great people (which I'd hate not having met, of course) and helping me mature. But I would have matured one way or another anywhere and to this day I regret my college time. As an artist, a degree is bullshit. I wish I would have started as an intern at some agency or company, learning the ropes from experienced people. After those 4 years I spent doing useless study projects and hanging out, I could have been a pro in whatever field with contacts in the industry. But I graduated, started working as a freelancer and had to start working my way up from zero.

So my recommendation:
-know exactly (more or less) what you want to do
-find out if that job is really what you imagine it to be (see BB's post)
-find out if a degree is necessary for that job
-find out if the courses you'll have make sense at all and will help you
-if you study, that that chance to the fullest. Don't slack, take everything with you that you can. Learn from more experienced people. Take extra activities that might help you. You'll never have as much free (and relatively carefree) time again once you graduate.

[Grae Knight]

Cold, what is it you want to do? Not that many high school seniors know what they want to do as a career just what you have in mind. The problem alot of kids have is wanting to do something that sounds cool or fun and there just is no market for it. Myself, I am glad I took my brother's advice. He said there will always be a market in the following fields: engineering, criminal law and medicine. Do something in one of those three fields and you will have little trouble finding a job. :)

[Crashed]

I think I want to be an English major, though I'd probably more fit under the 'undecided' umbrella of kids. I've always wanted to do something cool or fun (or at least something that I'd enjoy), and though it's easy to come up with something unique, I always come back to that.

I've also got about ten job applications in front of me right now that I'm filling out. I need to start saving money for when I leave. I realize I'm going to have to work extensively all through college. It'll suck, but it's what I have to do.

The big problem is that it's coming so fast and I'm afraid I won't be ready for it. I'm used to doing things on my own but paying for college just seems like it's exponentially worse than anything I've dealt with. I've decided that I'm going to stay in Texas for college, too.

I've taken many AP classes throughout high school and I've tested out of a lot of college credit, so theoretically this will help me a lot. I also plan to take some of my basics this summer at the community college that's about five minutes from my house - it's cheaper there and the credits are transferable to any public and most private Texas schools.

Thanks for the responses. Affirmation that I'm not the only person to ever feel completely screwed about this (even if I've already known it) is better. I DO want to go to college and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep me there, though it still is immensely stressful.

[EDIT] I also found out (and have seen) that my sister, the one leaving for college in two years, has about $100,000 saved for college by my parents. They're TOTALLY picking favorites... :P

[Bitter Babe]

Well just keep your chin up and you'll do just fine :) It's okay to feel stressed, I'm sure there are tons of others in the same situation as you but it sounds like you have a plan :)

[Charon]

Contrary to all the 'DOOM! MAKE SURE YOU DO SOMETHING BORING THAT WILL GET YOU A JOB!' posts in this thread, I'm going to simply say this...

I do a Film Studies degree. It is a degree that will be technically worth £15,000, but will be effectively worthless. That is, of course, unless I manage to get a First Honours (which I'm working on but isn't gauranteed), and afterwards there is very little chance I will get a job in the film industry or even in media. I am essentially throwing my money and three years of my life that I could be doing something else with straight down the pan.

But you know what? I don't give a fuck. University is not all about the future, it's about getting out and doing something for yourself now. I am extremely passionate about what I'm studying, even if practically I have little chance of getting into the film industry. God knows I'll try, but I know the odds. Aside from that, and maybe I have a romanticised view, but to me college is as much about being young and free while you have the chance as it is about getting a degree. It's about experiencing and seeing things that you may never do or see again, it's about realising who you are and meeting people who will be your friends for the rest of your life. Maybe I'm naive because I haven't come out of the other side yet - but I realise my post-college years are going to be fraut with trying to find a job that will actually pay enough to survive, and I'm still willing to stump up another year's tuition because I have learnt more about myself in the last two years than I think I ever have in my life before.

College has been worth every penny, and certainly not for the piece of paper I'll get at the end of it.

You will have to work hard to put yourself through college with no financial support, but it's only money and you won't regret it.

[Yin]

Contrary to all the 'DOOM! MAKE SURE YOU DO SOMETHING BORING THAT WILL GET YOU A JOB!' posts in this thread, I'm going to simply say this...

I do a Film Studies degree. It is a degree that will be technically worth £15,000, but will be effectively worthless. That is, of course, unless I manage to get a First Honours (which I'm working on but isn't gauranteed), and afterwards there is very little chance I will get a job in the film industry or even in media. I am essentially throwing my money and three years of my life that I could be doing something else with straight down the pan.

But you know what? I don't give a fuck. University is not all about the future, it's about getting out and doing something for yourself now. I am extremely passionate about what I'm studying, even if practically I have little chance of getting into the film industry. God knows I'll try, but I know the odds. Aside from that, and maybe I have a romanticised view, but to me college is as much about being young and free while you have the chance as it is about getting a degree. It's about experiencing and seeing things that you may never do or see again, it's about realising who you are and meeting people who will be your friends for the rest of your life. Maybe I'm naive because I haven't come out of the other side yet - but I realise my post-college years are going to be fraut with trying to find a job that will actually pay enough to survive, and I'm still willing to stump up another year's tuition because I have learnt more about myself in the last two years than I think I ever have in my life before.

College has been worth every penny, and certainly not for the piece of paper I'll get at the end of it.

You will have to work hard to put yourself through college with no financial support, but it's only money and you won't regret it.

This.

Honestly, if I could go back this year I would simply because there are very few jobs out there in the industry right now for me, and any internship I've come across right now is unpaid. I'd rather be back up there for another 2 semesters hittin' the books, socializing, and being a frat boy then to sit at home day in and out with absolutely nothing to do but waste time.

But the moral of my OP: Don't pay $30k if you don't have to. Being in-state may not be as bad as you think. Get far enough so that your parents aren't pokin' their nose in your business but stay close enough so that if you have to get home for any reason, you can do that without getting a plane ticket.

Trust me. Every once in awhile you just need to go home to get a break from college. Every semester I went home around 3-5 times for a full weekend simply because I needed a break, and thank God it was only 2 hours away.

[razoras]

Unless you're like me. There wasn't any real reason for me to go back home during college. But I took a few years to establish myself 3000 miles away from home before school.

[Grae Knight]

Sleep with lots of Co-Eds and experiment. Have a three-some and post about it in a blog. THEN, college will be worth it :)

[AfterglowNoMore]

I got nothing on this one. I'm probably the worst person to comment about college as I've been working on a bachelor's degree for about 7 years now. All because I can't seem to decide on a major. If you don't know what you want to go to college for, especially if money is an issue, take a semester or two off to figure out what you want to do. You'll waste more money on indecision just to wake up and realize how much of your own money you've pissed away because you didn't take the time to think about what you really want to do.

[Nerfed]

Sleep with lots of Co-Eds and experiment. Have a three-some and post about it in a blog. THEN, college will be worth it :)

Experiment, huh? And what kind of experimentation did you engage in, Grae?

[Joe Schmoe]

I got nothing on this one. I'm probably the worst person to comment about college as I've been working on a bachelor's degree for about 7 years now. All because I can't seem to decide on a major. If you don't know what you want to go to college for, especially if money is an issue, take a semester or two off to figure out what you want to do. You'll waste more money on indecision just to wake up and realize how much of your own money you've pissed away because you didn't take the time to think about what you really want to do.

This. Seriously. I still have no idea why I'm even trying school right now.. I don't even have a hint of what I can/want to do.

[razoras]

Experiment, huh? And what kind of experimentation did you engage in, Grae?

Let's just say Grae never has a problem moving his bowels.

[Nerfed]

A, E, I, O, and U?

[Grae Knight]

A, E, I, O, and U?

sometimes Y

[Crashed]

Sleep with lots of Co-Eds and experiment. Have a three-some and post about it in a blog. THEN, college will be worth it :)

Noted.

And, dunno if it's relevant at all, but I'm the first one in my family to go to college, so this entire process is new for everyone. I imagine a lot of the "GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" is coming from the fact that nobody really knows what they're doing, ha.

[Nerfed]

sometimes Y

That letter looks a little dangly... You like the dangly letters, Grae? Is that what the experimentation is all about? :chuckle:

[WingedAvenger]

Sleep with lots of Co-Eds and experiment. Have a three-some and post about it in a blog. THEN, college will be worth it :)

Alan Arkin's advice to his grandson in Little Miss Sunshine is just about perfect. And so true too.

[Xanatos]

I'm doing a philosophy degree not because it has any real-world application, but because it will allow me the mental capacity to protect any businesses I put together. I will be able to protect what I create.

At least...that's what I keep telling myself. ;)

[Graphite]

I won't post much to avoid a flame war, but...

Know Thyself. Totally Agree.

Have the end goal. Something your passionate about. Something society wants. Something that other people are willing to pay for you to do it.

Expect to morgage your life to pay. Sad but true. That just seems to be the common expecations now within society. It is complete BS in my book.

DO NOT GO Undecided. Complete waist of time and cash. If you don't know, wait a year and figure out what is you DO want to be doing for the next 20.

Find mentorships and role models. Anyone in your community who you could say, I'd want to be him when I grow up is a good place to start.

[Grae Knight]

Screw college. Go to LA and do porn.

[Charon]

Have the end goal. Something your passionate about. Something society wants.

No.

Fuck society. Do what you want, get drunk and have some fucking fun while you have the chance.

[Nerfed]

There's a time and a place for everything. Its called college.
--Southpark

[Grae Knight]

No.

Fuck society. Do what you want, get drunk and have some fucking fun while you have the chance.


Um..hello...that is pretty much what I said. fucking fun...fun fucking..same thing.

[Gold Rush]

Screw college. Go to LA and do porn.

And it is so easy to tell which houses they are filming porn at in LA, too. ;)

[Graphite]

No.

Fuck society. Do what you want, get drunk and have some fucking fun while you have the chance.

And this my friends epitomizes all that is wrong and evil in our world today.

:(

[Charon]

And this my friends epitomizes all that is wrong and evil in our world today.

:(

I'm sorry, what?

[Grae Knight]

And this my friends epitomizes all that is wrong and evil in our world today.

:(


My answers were alot worse! I demand to epitomize what is wrong and evil in our world today!

Plus, chill dude. If Charon wants his college years to be National Lampoons: Animal House, more power to him.

[Bitter Babe]

How in the world does what Charon said epitomize what is wrong and evil? That's messed up. He's telling him to study but also enjoy himself because you only get to be his age and go to college once. Also, you shouldn't pick a major on what society thinks.

[RedSwitchblade]

And this my friends epitomizes all that is wrong and evil in our world today.

:(

I think the very same thing about what YOU said to elicit that comment.

[Grae Knight]

Pick a major based on what will get you laid the most!

[Gold Rush]

Pick a major based on what will get you laid the most!

That can be most anything if you spin it right to the right girl/s. :chuckle:

Okay, maybe "Sanitation Engineer" won't do it, but heck, work within a City Government's office in charge of the department...

[Nerfed]

No, not ALL that is wrong and evil... but definitely a significant portion, for sure.

[Gold Rush]

Let's see if I can defend, Graph, although I agree with what Charon says...


And this my friends epitomizes all that is wrong and evil in our world today.

I think the very same thing about what YOU said to elicit that comment.

I am thinking he wants people to have a sense of responsibility and take charge of "the world" and care for it and not be so selfish in their desires. Basically, "set yourself up to contribute to society". I may be reading that wrong, but I am guessing that is essentially it.

While it is a noble goal, I think many can agree it is a bit short-sighted. People in Charon's position have the rest of their lives to be "mature" and "grown-up". Youth is youth. Not everyone can enjoy it, due to life circumstances, but even those in bad situations should try; should loosen up.

As with all age groups, various peoples with various maturity come to colleges and universities. I've seen my fair share of those that study so hard; "put their nose to the grind stone" too much. Likewise, I have seen the opposite. Too much partying and falling grades.

College, IMO, is a time to learn from mistakes. One is still young enough and plucky enough to bounce back from any pitfalls without too many marks. Mistakes will be made and why not make them? Some of those mistakes are not really mistakes anyway. There is alotta fun and life experiences in College and one really should grab life by the horns when one goes to one. Even with expenses, there are many folks who have so much fun, they stay on the "Ten Year Degree" plan...or MORE! At some point, they either get off for various reasons or basically stay in college as a teacher.

Really, society (and parents) treat you as immature; it is a gripe of mine at that age. Old enough to go to war but pushing the drinking age to 21. Bullocks on that! More than any other time, College is a golden opportunity to have one's Grand adventure in life, and as Charon points out, you make most of your lifetime friends there : I still have many of mine!

So, while financial planning and saving is fine...You can't forget about the social element. Really, there are not that many "social cliques" as one had in Hich School; no "popular kids", even though there can be groups. Most everyone is equal.

Don't ignore your "fun" quotient!

[Jade]

I am 25 years old, and I am getting ready to go back to school for the third time.....

The first time around, I got about 1/2 way through, with a bunch of worthless credits towards a IT degree.

The second time around, i graduated with high honors, but a combination of a shitty economy, and realizing that I dont like it anymore, I am stuck with a certificate, that while not worthless, isn't what I need/want anymore.

So here I go for the third time. My town is based off of a Naval base. I am looking at an engineering degree this time around (Mechanical), but I dont really know. What I do know, is that as I get older, my interests change. If I could afford it, I would be a stay at home mom/professional volunteer. The only thing that i LOVE to do anymore, is work/train my dogs. 3 years ago, I didn't even have a dog.

I guess my point in all of that is, that you dont really know what you're going to like as a working adult until you are one. If you aren't sure, maybe hit the local community college, take some classes, and save some money until you know what you want.

-Jade

[Charon]

I'm sorry, perhaps I should clarify before I get told that I'm a hedonist or something, because I can see it coming when Graphite gets around to replying.

I meant what I said - fuck society. For now. Because frankly once you get into the working world you'll be serving society for the rest of your life. Not many people get into these dream jobs they think about all their lives. I have no belief that life owes me a living or that I will become a film director or even a writer - I am doing a film degree because I love film. I will probably end up working in an office. But right now? Right now I'm happy.

To me, college isn't about the rest of your life. Yes, it gives you a piece of paper that makes it easier to walk into a job when you finish (I don't know about America, but in the U.K. a first honours degree in anything will get you a decent paying job doing something, and even a 2.1 certainly helps). College is about figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life while you do something you enjoy that can be applied later. It is also about people and experiences, both of which I have met and had in abundance.

I'm just saying - don't let the fact that you don't know what you want to do yet put you off. An English Major could end up doing anything. The old cliche is that you'll end up working in a coffee shop - but so what if you do? You're not going to work in a coffee shop forever, because eventually an opportunity will arise and if you take it, you'll end up doing something else. Then maybe another opportunity will arise. You never know where life is going to take you - your major doesn't effect that all that much.

This period in your life is the last time you will be free and able to do anything. So do it. I'm not going to tell you you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it, because you can't. But right now you can go to college, study whatever you want, make friends and do things you'll never do again, and aslong as you can finance it you can study anything you want and have the time of your life doing it.

Worry about the future later. Just have fun now while you're still able to do so. You might get hit by a bus tomorrow, so just go to college and study whatever subject interests you (fuck what society thinks).

[Grae Knight]

I think that what is wrong with this world is those people who view everything negatively. The sort of people who think "no-one is hiring" is a valid excuse. Those people who think that if they moan and complain about the world enough that one day they will wake up and make things magically change.

...people like Graphite and Nerfed. Who are both either unemployed or who are having trouble finding jobs. It's probably not a good idea to take career gropes from either.

This is not meant to be an insult at either of them. Just wanted to warn CC away from their advice.


wtf is a career grope??

[Galactoman]

wtf is a career grope??
I don't know, but I want one!

[Xanatos]

*gripe.

Sorry, had groping on the mind recently.

[Bitter Babe]

Hahaha, yeah we saw in the chat log thread :P

[RedSwitchblade]

He's been groping for a solution to that problem.

[Yin]

No.

Fuck society. Do what you want, get drunk and have some fucking fun while you have the chance.

This.

If you want to be a pastry chef, do it and make the most bitchin' pastries this world has ever seen. Seriously, do what YOU want to do and not what society is trying to force you to do. The people who always go against the status quo seem to be the most successful in life. It may be tough at first, but when you get to a breakthrough its all worth it.

Figure out what you love, and see if you can attend school for it. If you love video games, then either go to school to be a programmer or artist. If you love sports, take up Sports Administration/Education. Do something that isn't going to make you go, "Fuck this..." when you get up every morning to work. Like my dad always says: It isn't work if you love what you do.

[Bitter Babe]

Great post Yin! Every day it's hard to get up to go to work because it's just meh. It's interesting to a point but I would love to find something else that I am good at and enjoy. Enjoy college and have fun, isn't that the point :)

[Quakester]

Glad you two sorted this out like adults

[Krypto]

Alright, people, let's not resort to bickering and mocking eachother's lives. Keep the thread clean, and keep on topic. If you want to participate in the thread, rant about the ways in which college gets you down, that's what ranting threads are for. It's not a debate thread.

[Xanatos]

Alright, people, let's not resort to bickering and mocking eachother's lives. Keep the thread clean, and keep on topic. If you want to participate in the thread, rant about the ways in which college gets you down, that's what ranting threads are for. It's not a debate thread.

Please delete Graphite's last post.

Regards,

[Yin]

And if its a GREAT college experience, once you graduate, you'll want to go back (like me). I think it's a phase, really, but :( .

But that's what Homecoming is all about. An opportunity for all of the Alums across the board to come back and reconnect with everyone that became a part of their lives while in school. I already have a place to stay and plan on being back on campus Thursday-Sunday the week of Homecoming. Between chillin' with my frat brothers, sorority sisters, and friends, I'll be in for a good, drunkin' time. :D