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[Mondai]

From a making friends and hanging out standpoint, my college experience was great, met my amazing wife, met a lot of good people and some great close friends. Academically, it sucked , felt like I wasted 6 years of my life, knowing what I know now I probably wouldn’t have done college at that point in my life (assuming my wife didn’t exist).

 

[Catphish]

A waste of money and time.

My career is based on a cert I studied 6 months, and paid $300 to test for.

My degree isn’t used at all and only served as a conversation piece for my current job interview.

 

[nush]

In the uk at the time I had two years of collage for free. First course was Engineering, we were told we would be able cut up bits of metal and make things by the collage recruiter. That's what everyone in the small class wanted to do. It was just lies to get us to sign up as it was actual engineering, maths, computer programming, chemistry and making electronic schematics. We complained and was told maybe in the second year we'd get some shop time. Fool us once, I don't think anyone did the second year.

So my parents pushed me to take something for my second year and decided I was good at art so I should do that. My good grade in art was based on sculpting and pottery work. Creative stuff like the cutting up of metal I wanted to do. I can't draw for shit, I can't paint for shit and have no interest in graphic design. Last straw was when we had to do a still life drawing of this fat naked model, she was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. "What the fuck am I doing with my life?".

So I dropped out, picked up extra weekday shifts at my part time job then made the jump to full time. I learned a hell of a lot more life skills and social networking that way that I'd ever have in further education.

 

[PaddyOCanager]

It was amazing and I have some of the best memories of my entire life from it.

I would never want to do it again.

 

[Sub_Level]

It was a shit experience. Most of that was my fault. Some it wasn't. But at least I'm using my degree (accounting) for my career so can't complain there.

I can say this much: it wasn't the "best years of my life". Not by a long shot.

 

[thefool]

I learned a lot, and a few years down the road I went back to pursuit a career in academia.

Can't really say it was particularly interesting from a social point of view, but im european, I suppose the idea of college is very different from other countries.

 

[AJUMP23]

Education in computers career in engineering. Cost me around 20k and has had a huge ROI.

Friendship, I made some great ones that I still talk to and hang out with and travel with, 20 years later.

Dating, I asked out a lot of girls, got rejected by some, made out with plenty and was surprised when some that seemed out of my league said yes.

Overall experience was an A.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Academics were hard but I learned "how to learn" and eventually came out ahead. Got a useful degree that serves me well to this very day.

Opened my eyes to all kinds of people, cultures, and experiences, so that was really nice.

Banged some hot chicks.

So even though academics kicked my ass for part of it, overall it was an awesome experience.

 

[Lunarorbit]

My first day at UMass Amherst was on 9/11. It was fucking wild especially since lots of NYC people went there at the time.

But it only got better from there. I used college as a finishing school to grow up; I haven't done a ton with my degree but I didn't view it as a negative.

I left college with$17,000 in debt so that flavors my opinion too. I did a student exchange my senior year and went to u of Arizona which was awesome. The bursars office also fucked up and gave me a check both semesters for $7000. I never got financial aid directly before as it was always applied to my debt directly.

I drank a lot that senior year! 4th avenue in Tucson was awesome in 2005.

 

[BadBurger]

It was fun but a lot of hard work and sleepless nights. I worked for the university part time for two years, full time for one year, so it was an odd experience being both a student and an employee who knew many professors personally and had keys to every door in every building (I was in the IT department). I also had to wait tables and do other odd jobs here and there to make ends meet.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably just take out more loans so I could have worked less. Enjoyed myself more. Those years were basically sun up to sun down busy, busy, busy 24/7.

 

[Dark Star]

i got a decent degree that it directly tied to my work/job/career, so that's good.

I didn't work too hard the first couple years of college TBH. mostly just skated around with my friends and smoked weed and stuff. it was chill having freedom. then i buckled down and gave it my all the last couple years and really focused on internships and getting my GPA up and stuff. graduated on the Dean's list a few times for sure.

I had some fun outside of college like concerts and music festivals. spent a lot of my outside of class time working on music production and playing guitar in a band, so I yeah, I had fun doing stuff that I liked.

relationship/dating wise I didn't make any moves. I got asked out by a girl once and went out with her, but that's about it. Likewise, most of my friends kind of just fell into my lap because we were in similar classes or had mutual friends. I wasn't too involved in clubs or tried to make a lot of friends. I was overall kind of a loner by my Senior year and was only focused on getting a job and stuff.

 

[Ionian]

Did software IT.hard as fuck but graduation day was amazing.

4 years at night while working full-time.

 

[Flash Junkins]

Trips across the diag and Theo's in Ypsilanti.

 

[TheMan]

A necessary step to get to where I am now. Made some good friends but in reality I felt held back strongly by social anxiety, so there’s lots of regrets about coulda shoulda woulda

 

[Quasicat]

My undergrad sucked as I worked 48 hours a week (6 days mandatory) as the 3rd shift blueberry line supervisor of a major yogurt company. As I was going through my education program, the state changed the requirements and forced everyone to get Master’s degrees, which added two more years of schooling to get my license. Once I graduated and took a $20,000 pay cut to start teaching, I had more time than ever before to play games.
Most people at work say how college was so great, but for me it was the four years afterwards that was fun and exciting!

 

[p_xavier]

I dated my psychologist for 5 years. Had a nice apt.for $215 a month. Was hospitalised two months from malnutrion due to not being able to afford food. What was not to like? Getting in an ambulance because you chose to pay internet to finish school besides eating when you had three jobs.

 

[wondermega]

My first day at UMass Amherst was on 9/11. It was fucking wild especially since lots of NYC people went there at the time.

But it only got better from there. I used college as a finishing school to grow up; I haven't done a ton with my degree but I didn't view it as a negative.

I left college with$17,000 in debt so that flavors my opinion too. I did a student exchange my senior year and went to u of Arizona which was awesome. The bursars office also fucked up and gave me a check both semesters for $7000. I never got financial aid directly before as it was always applied to my debt directly.

I drank a lot that senior year! 4th avenue in Tucson was awesome in 2005.

UMass was the best! Such an idyllic time. Mid to late 90s, before smartphones and social media and everything that has changed life into whatever it is that this is now (blah blah yell at cloud).

 

[nush]

the 3rd shift blueberry line supervisor of a major yogurt company.

If only you could have got that strawberry line promotion, that's where the big bucks are.

 

[Ionian]

If only you could have got that strawberry line promotion, that's where the big bucks are.

One of my fondest memories as a kid was visiting one. you can simply eat them, yet the adult gets a small pallet of berries.

Fresh berries go off so quickly. None of that Aldi or Lidl shit. They're junk. Rot in a few days.

EDIT: reason is imported.

 

[Master Of Illusion]

Commuted. Took 6 years. Meh.

 

[Quasicat]

One of my fondest memories as a kid was visiting one. you can simply eat them, yet the adult gets a small pallet of berries.

Fresh berries go off so quickly. None of that Aldi or Lidl shit. They're junk. Rot in a few days.

EDIT: reason is imported.

Unfortunately, that’s not how it was at my plant. The blueberries and peaches were flash frozen in the fields. The strawberries were sliced, sugared, and packed in large plastic bins from Mexico. It was common knowledge that you did not want to eat the strawberries, or you would spend the next few hours in the bathroom.

 

[kikkis]

Studied three years, got sick and disabled, and ultimately dropped out because of it.

Didn't make any friends or relationships during it.

 

[hollams]

My college was 45 minutes away which I drove to everyday so not much of an experience for me.

 

[Kenpachii]

Made lots of friends, great time. Sadly didn't really talk with them in current time anymore as connections water down entirely and people move get married and have shit to do.

The degree is kinda useless as i do a complete different profession now. It's good to get job interviews going tho.

 

[Raven117]

Effing awesome. Still hangout with many today! (More years thank I care to admit -ago)

 

[EverydayBeast]

I give college grads credit, in high school they give you organization while college I thought was a circus.

 

[Pagusas]

it was the best time of my life. Lived in a lake side dorm, had great friendships, dated and explored a ton, discovered my passions in life, kicked ass with my studies and rocketed me into my career

 

[Aesius]

Best time of my life. I spent my first two years at a local university, but after I split up with my high school girlfriend it was time to move on. Then I moved ~2 hours away to a state school and it was just one epic adventure after another.

Sometimes I look back on that four-year stretch in disbelief at what my life was like. I would be done for the day on certain days at around 11:30 a.m. From there it was just non-stop social hour. Go out to lunch with a nice crew, have some drinks, head back to someone's house and laugh our asses off for hours, then go out to dinner, then head out to the bar or a party. Come home and crash late, drag ass to class the next day, rinse and repeat. And that was WEEKDAYS! Weekends were even more fun.

 

[SirTerry-T]

I was an art student in the UK during the mid to late 80's.....of course it was fucking great

 

[12Goblins]

went to KU. not bad but not great either. everybody is super friendly, no clicks, just people from all walks of life hanging out together and having a good time. professors there felt mostly entitled and just going through the motions though

honestly the community college I went to prior had some of the greatest teachers I've ever had (philosophy and history). its really those teachers that changed my life

overall, i felt like nobody is really there to "learn" until you get to graduate school, and I was really burnt out by all the bullshit hoops they make you go through by the time I got there

 

[p_xavier]

Worst years of my life. I couldn't get student loans because I was considered a non resident for many years. I had multiples jobs and couldn't afford much food and my grades suffered. Didn't make friends in all these years. Didn't have a social life because I didn't have enough money/time. The last year of my B.Sc. I was hospitalised for malnutrition. Year after got many skin cancer spots; had about 100 suture points on my face/body. I was finally able to get loans from a bank for other degrees. Last year of my Master's I finally got a nice descent job and started to make big money from then on. I really wished I hadn't missed out on what were supposed to be the best years of your life.

Thank god I had GAF and my dad got me PS2 at the time, would have been horrible without.

 

[lachesis]

Class of 96. School wise, it was great - because I had full scholarship. Learned quite a bit.
Difficult part was to keeping up with GPA requirements while trying to cram in 5 year worth of studio hours into 4 years.

Social life wise - nope. I was (am still) pretty socially awkward - so it wasn't that great.

 

[GymWolf]

Bad for the first 2 years, great for the remaining 3.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I went to a public college. I lived at home with my parents through college. No car, so I had to take the bus. I'd spend 3 hours a day on buses commuting. That was draining.

I pretty much just kept my head down. Didn't really socialize too much. Would just go to class, do readings and assignments in between classes, and then go home. Graduated with a 3.05 GPA. Nothing too special. Majored in Japanese, expecting to go into translation or teaching. Didn't do either. Instead now i work in logistics.

Minimal debt. Mostly used grants to get me through, except the final year. I think I took out one loan, worth 8k.

 

[TheMan]

Worst years of my life. I couldn't get student loans because I was considered a non resident for many years. I had multiples jobs and couldn't afford much food and my grades suffered. Didn't make friends in all these years. Didn't have a social life because I didn't have enough money/time. The last year of my B.Sc. I was hospitalised for malnutrition. Year after got many skin cancer spots; had about 100 suture points on my face/body. I was finally able to get loans from a bank for other degrees. Last year of my Master's I finally got a nice descent job and started to make big money from then on. I really wished I hadn't missed out on what were supposed to be the best years of your life.

Thank god I had GAF and my dad got me PS2 at the time, would have been horrible without.

You dated your psychologist? Tell us more

Sound rough otherwise but I'm glad you were able to turn things around

 

[poodaddy]

I got paid to go to school as I had a GI bill from military service. Got two degrees, one of which served me well from an enthusiast knowledge standpoint, the other of which I regret getting as it didn't make me one penny and I genuinely wasn't interested in it at all.

Wish I would have studied computer science and game design like I wanted to, but I believed those close to me who told me I hadn't the intellectual capacity for that discipline. They may have been right, who knows, but I deprived myself of the opportunity to at least try because I trusted in their assessment of me as a dunce. Biggest regret of my life.

 

[TheDreadBaron]

You dated your psychologist? Tell us more

Sound rough otherwise but I'm glad you were able to turn things around

Yes more of this saucy psychologist tale, were they hot? You’re super not supposed to do that, right? That makes it naughty, right?

 

[chromhound]

it was a wasted of money because i didn't know what i wanted to do in my life and i was only there to chill lol. Wasted 3 years of my life

 

[p_xavier]

You dated your psychologist? Tell us more

Sound rough otherwise but I'm glad you were able to turn things around

He was in a relationship when we first met professionally. Well it was more he had pity of me at first. And I never had a bf before and thought I had it rough so we had a couple dinners together because I was lonely. Then his bf cheated on him. He had a daughter from a previous relationship so that was the rougher part. I absolutely didn't have the same opinion as him on how to raise kids. I was pretty firm, he was not so he broke up multiple times. After 5 years I broke up because I moved for my first office job doing investigations. I speak to him a couple of times a year. He says I'm his only friend left. I'm seeing his daughter in London this October. He really helped me with my self esteem at the time.

 

[p_xavier]

Yes more of this saucy psychologist tale, were they hot? You’re super not supposed to do that, right? That makes it naughty, right?

Was a handsome guy, he even had a local TV show.

 

[Mistake]

I went for a semester, aced all my classes and dropped out because I decided it was a giant waste of time and money. My professors were pissed!

 

[Quasicat]

If only you could have got that strawberry line promotion, that's where the big bucks are.

That’s funny! The strawberry supervisor and I started roughly the same time and he is still there. A few years ago, he told me that he just passed the $120k mark on his annual salary. This is $50k more than I make with my job that required a Master’s degree. I will be honest though, watching people watching blueberries go by on a conveyor belt for 20+ years would be mind numbing.

 

[MastAndo]

Basically non-existent social life. I could count on one hand the number of college parties or hangouts with college friends I had. My parents didn't allow me to go away to school, despite the opportunity to do so, so I commuted to school. I went there for classes and just went back home afterwards and hung out with my neighborhood friends as I did in high school. It was kind of pathetic considering I went to school in an area with tons to do and a booming nightlife.

 

[FullMetalx117]

Amazing. Some of my best memories are from college, it’s a place I made my lifelong friends. My degree was well worth it and I always had internships that more or less covered tuition/life. Great college football school too. I went out so many times and did some pretty crazy stuff I wouldn’t do today. I miss it a lot

 

[teezzy]

Film school and community college were a worthwhile investment overall. I don't regret going and I learned enough about the world to live a modest Midwestern life

 

[Tams]

Pretty much a waste of time and money (and mine wasn't that much compared to what some people spend).

Sure, I did have some fun, and university clubs and societies were enjoyable. I didn't make any lasting friends though. As for the academics... I questioned why I was paying anything for it as we had to pretty much teach ourselves.

That said, I didn't make the most of university socially or academically. I could have gone out more and gone to more clubs and societies, and tried speaking to people more at them. I could have studied harder and pressed my professors/lecturers for more feedback and help. I just couldn't be arsed. I'm sure someone who is more ambitious can make much more of university, especially on my course that fundamentally isn't useless.

 

[Redneckerz]

They don't teach you life experience at college.

So yeah. The place i am now appreciates what i do, despite that you never would know just by looking at the resume.

Having spent years on interviews, i know that most interviewers/recruiters are wholly inadequate for the job and lying scumbags at worst. That right there is life experience.

Also my internship prepared me well for this because our manager was a complete incompetent fuckwad aswell.

 

[CrankyJay™]

Probably the best years of my life.

 

[Alter_Fridge]

Amazing years of my life. But most college degrees are a complete sham

 

[kraspkibble]

didn't go. was going to but didn't.

not american. you all have a weird obsession with college. i could go to college now if i wanted but not sure. it's a long story really.