Am I the only one who HATES college?

Question

I'm stuck taking classes that have nothing to do with my major, I'm far away from home so when I don't want to be surrounded by drunken idiots, there's no where to go. Most of my friends stayed closer to home which is still a big 4 year university, and a hell of a lot cheaper. I can't drive because my car is at home and it costs too much money to get a parking pass and frankly, driving in the city scares the shit out of my anyways. I'd probably have a panic attack.

Basically, I feel alone.

I've come to the conclusion that the people who enjoy college are the people who enjoy partying. Sound right? Seems like it.

Sometimes a feel like an old lady! I can have fun without drinking, and without hooking up at parties...there are better ways to meet people in my opinion. At least I hope so. College just doesn't seem to be my thing. But I know dropping out with only screw my future over.

whoa, ok well let me add that I do understand that the other classes are very important that don't pertain to your major. I enjoy those classes, actually. I'm fully aware of that. I must have been unclear about it before. I'm speaking mostly about the general environment. Just wanted to hear other peoples stories to feel not so alone.

Answer 1

1) those classes that have nothing to do with your major have more to do with it than you think. They are there to round out your education so that you can do more than "pull blue handle, push red button" type jobs. They teach you to think and reason and write and communicate and synthesize... the things employers pay extra to get a college graduate to do.

2) I don't like drunken potheads either. I avoided them throughout college because they will be the 2/3 that don't graduate. 'Everyone' is not a drunken pothead though and so you can probably find some like-minds there if you look around. I enjoy college very much - I've been going to college for about 27 years now. I don't party and never did. Your premise doesn't support your conclusion there. ☺ The people who like college are the people that find academics interesting and want to learn more stuff. The partyers simply found that there are a lot of other partyers in that environment, but they like partying - not college.

3) Dropping out won't screw up your future any more than not understanding the importance of those courses that "have nothing to do with your major". Either is going to leave you unprepared for your full potential. You'd be amazed at the number of music majors I've heard say "why do I have to take math to be a music major?" It's as easy as "so you can count your money". Don't discount the value of those courses you don't think are needed right now.

On the other hand - if the only thing you want to study is one specific vocation, a bachelor's degree isn't what you want. You want a vocational certificate at the technical college - that's what they do.

4) There are both advantages and disadvantages to going to college "back home". The biggest disadvantage is the 50-mile rule that tells us "nobody who is from here can be worth anything, only people who come from far away know anything" (aka "a prophet in his own house...")

The advantage is that it's often cheaper and you know people there. It's more comfortable. Either way though - a bachelor's degree requires 60+ hours of non-major general education.

So what I'm seeing here in your question is [1&3] you don't completely understand the value of a bachelor's degree education and particularly the liberal arts core of that education. You believe that degree=$ but that isn't the truth. Education=$ and degree is nothing more than a piece of paper that says you attended. You also have to get the education that goes with it. Do some reading online on "value of a liberal arts education" and then decide if what you'd rather do is have a vocational education.

Then [2 & 4], the place you're at is possibly not the right college for you. Seems like you're at a big, party school and you're really more a small, serious school kinda student. It may well be time to transfer somewhere else.

Answer 2

No, the people who enjoy college are also the people who enjoy what they're studying and the environment they're in. This place might be a bad fit for you, in which case the solution is transferring, not dropping out. It might also be that you haven't yet found your niche there, which might involve finding some extracurricular activities or rejiggering your schedule. (I take it you're getting core requirements out of the way, but do you have a spot for even one elective?) Maybe a visit to the school counseling center would be enough to convince you you're not alone. Just don't give up before you come up with a practical plan.

Answer 3

First of all, everyone has to take GER courses to provide a liberal arts background. Otherwise college wouldn't be very different from trade school. If you'll keep an open mind, you'll probably find later that those irrelevant courses benefited you by broadening your outlook.

That said, if you're really so unhappy where you are, can you transfer to a college or university closer to home? It sounds as if that would solve many of your problems, if you can find your chosen major there. In the meantime, you might also ask the Dean of Students (or whatever he/she is called on your campus) about designating one dorm as a non-party area. And there's always the library! After all, even if you're in a minority, it's the students like you who really belong in college, not the goof-offs.

Answer 4

feel the same way tranfering home next year