The College Thread!

Spooky.

Spooky.

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I know some of us on here are college aged, and even though I'm almost done with my certification, I'd love to hear about everyone's college experiences, since they're so vastly different for everyone.

I've included a survey if you'd like to simply fill it out (excluding anything you don't wish to share, of course), or you can simply talk about your experiences, share tips, anything really. Even if you haven't been to college, no harm or shame in asking questions as well.


I'm an Early Childhood Major going for my certification. I'm on my last semester now, hopefully (I'm always so paranoid about not passing, though I've not failed a class.) I'm hoping to be a teacher's assistant.
I started back in 2005-ish as a music major, switched to ECE, and had to take a long break due to finances. I also wasn't doing too well, as I was emotionally immature and I just wasn't ready to take it seriously enough. I worried too much about making friends and fitting in and seeming cool.

I came back and switched from a degree to a certification in 2016 and am about to complete. It's been a long journey because I had to pay out of pocket while working part-time, so what I could have finished in two semesters has taken me four. ugh haha)

I go to a community college that's about 35 minutes from home, so the drive sucks but it's what happens living in the middle of nowhere.

Even though I'm an ECE major, my favorite subject has always been psychology, and still is. In the past I took every psych possible as electives. It's just incredibly fascinating.

As for tips, I can say from experience - do the work, don't miss class unless you have to. One of the big reasons why I did horribly in the beginning is because I was too concerned about looking cool and hanging around and I skipped class as often as possible and got bad grades because I did minimal work. College is tough, it's a lot, but you have to get it done. If it's doable for you, go to school part time and take longer on your degree if you need to, if it means getting the work done. I found that the one benefit from being able to take only 1-2 classes a semester when I came back is more time for work, and I've gotten straight A's since.
Of course this isn't an option for everyone, especially since I only had 5 classes left to take. But if it's an option to take classes slowly, go for it instead of loading up to get it done fast. Life isn't as big of a rush as some people make it out to be, and you'll do better work and be less stressed if you are able to put less of a burden on yourself.
Again, it's not plausable for everyone, but if you can, take it easy.

Also, try to make sure you pace yourself and remember to eat and sleep. Your mental health is really important. I know it's tempting to study for finals all day and night, but you will do better if you get enough rest. If you don't sleep, your mental capabilities will weaken and you won't do as well. Scientifically proven. Study throughout the semester, don't cram. (Unless cramming actually somehow works for you, then go for it.)


So how about you guys? Let's share college stories!

What's your major?
What degree are you working on?
What degree do you hope to achieve?
What college do you go to?
What made you choose this college?
What's your favorite class?
Do you live at home, on your own, or in a dorm?
Any funny roommate stories?
Any tips or advice for current or upcoming students?
 
I am applying to colleges right now!


I tried applying to Temple University's Art school, but accidentally applied to their film and theatre school... very awkward
 
I wouldn't worry about taking longer than you thought you would to complete school. I know far more people that do that than get through everything on schedule. Living far from college really sucks though. I recommend avoiding that because it will wear you down during tough weeks with a lot of work, particularly if you also have a job.

I'm currently pursuing a bachelors in English with a focus on writing and rhetoric. Unfortunately, I still have a year to go after this semester. I should be in graduate school by now to be honest, but I decided to take it slow the first few semesters and only go part-time. I go to a college in Chicago, which I chose because it was the closest to home. I don't live with my parents, but I also don't live alone.

I'm not sure which class I would consider my absolute favorite, but this semester it would have to be my Wednesday night professional editing class. For the first half hour or so we just talk about current trends in publishing, which then ends up delving into other topics and some solid discussions.

I have plenty of advice for current and upcoming students, but you'd have to ask about something specific. There's just too much otherwise.
 
^ I'm currently in a class called Digital Rhetorics and the Modern Dialectic

My major is Technical Communication though, and my minor is IT.
I jumped around a lot (changing from computer science to IT to tech writing), and it was very confusing.
I should be graduating when I'm 21 though, so that's not far behind at all.

I hope to work in a technology company doing technical writing for them. My dream is for it to be in a modern/hipstery city with a young staff (not a giant company). I don't know if that's random or unattainable, but it just sounds nice~
 
Kalle said:
I wouldn't worry about taking longer than you thought you would to complete school. I know far more people that do that than get through everything on schedule. Living far from college really sucks though. I recommend avoiding that because it will wear you down during tough weeks with a lot of work, particularly if you also have a job.

I'm currently pursuing a bachelors in English with a focus on writing and rhetoric. Unfortunately, I still have a year to go after this semester. I should be in graduate school by now to be honest, but I decided to take it slow the first few semesters and only go part-time. I go to a college in Chicago, which I chose because it was the closest to home. I don't live with my parents, but I also don't live alone.

I'm not sure which class I would consider my absolute favorite, but this semester it would have to be my Wednesday night professional editing class. For the first half hour or so we just talk about current trends in publishing, which then ends up delving into other topics and some solid discussions.

I have plenty of advice for current and upcoming students, but you'd have to ask about something specific. There's just too much otherwise.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hate living so far away, but there is no college closer that I'm able to go to either way. I live in an odd area where pretty much every college is a minimum of 30 minutes away. It sucks the most in bad weather. It ended up taking me an hour and a half to get home one night because of the weather. I was a wreck by the time I got home, and hated myself for going to class. Then again, I also spent a lot of money on that class so I didn't want to miss it either. Loss/loss really.

- - - Post Merge - - -

Skyzeri said:
^ I'm currently in a class called Digital Rhetorics and the Modern Dialectic

My major is Technical Communication though, and my minor is IT.
I jumped around a lot (changing from computer science to IT to tech writing), and it was very confusing.
I should be graduating when I'm 21 though, so that's not far behind at all.

I hope to work in a technology company doing technical writing for them. My dream is for it to be in a modern/hipstery city with a young staff (not a giant company). I don't know if that's random or unattainable, but it just sounds nice~
Click to expand...

That class name is such a mouthful haha. I thought my class 'Math, Science & Technology for young children' was a lot. Even if it's a word longer, yours sounds so much fancier.

Changing majors around can be confusing, but thankfully at least, most majors have the same 'basic' classes you have to take (the maths, science, psych, etc.) so if you change, you mostly end up taking the core classes for that major.

That does sound nice. I'd love to work for a place that's laid back and not run by a more capitalist-based company.
 
Skyzeri said:
^ I'm currently in a class called Digital Rhetorics and the Modern Dialectic

My major is Technical Communication though, and my minor is IT.
I jumped around a lot (changing from computer science to IT to tech writing), and it was very confusing.
I should be graduating when I'm 21 though, so that's not far behind at all.

I hope to work in a technology company doing technical writing for them. My dream is for it to be in a modern/hipstery city with a young staff (not a giant company). I don't know if that's random or unattainable, but it just sounds nice~
Click to expand...

Interesting, I have technical writing course at the moment. It's a good field to get in to, plus you have some creative freedom compared to other writing jobs like a copywriter. It'd be great to have a degree in creative writing, but that's essentially a dead end now. Plus, with technical writing you don't need a certificate to get a good job; you just show off your skill on what you've worked on in the past! Not sure about technical communication though. How are your classes?

Hipstery city? Move to Portland or Chicago. I live in the latter and hang out at hipster bars almost every weekend. It's love.

Spooky. said:
Yeah, I hate living so far away, but there is no college closer that I'm able to go to either way. I live in an odd area where pretty much every college is a minimum of 30 minutes away. It sucks the most in bad weather. It ended up taking me an hour and a half to get home one night because of the weather. I was a wreck by the time I got home, and hated myself for going to class. Then again, I also spent a lot of money on that class so I didn't want to miss it either. Loss/loss really.
Click to expand...

That's awful—an hour and a half? Merp. That's the thing though, you end up paying so much/going into debt that you just don't want to miss a class.
 
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Kalle said:
Interesting, I have technical writing course at the moment. It's a good field to get in to, plus you have some creative freedom compared to other writing jobs like a copywriter. It'd be great to have a degree in creative writing, but that's essentially a dead end now. Plus, with technical writing you don't need a certificate to get a good job; you just show off your skill on what you've worked on in the past! Not sure about technical communication though. How are your classes?

Hipstery city? Move to Portland or Chicago. I live in the latter and hang out at hipster bars almost every weekend. It's love.



That's awful—an hour and a half? Merp. That's the thing though, you end up paying so much/going into debt that you just don't want to miss a class.
Click to expand...

Yeah, every time I think 'I want to take a day to just rest, I really need it' I remember how much I paid to go to school and drag myself there. Even when I'm sick I end up going just so I don't miss anything.
I'd considered missing class this past Halloween because my teacher was only doing a half class instead of the usual three hours so I figured I wouldn't miss anything so I'd go home and rest...but I went anyway and she gave us an assignment. You really can't miss anything for any reason.
 
Spooky. said:
Yeah, every time I think 'I want to take a day to just rest, I really need it' I remember how much I paid to go to school and drag myself there. Even when I'm sick I end up going just so I don't miss anything.
I'd considered missing class this past Halloween because my teacher was only doing a half class instead of the usual three hours so I figured I wouldn't miss anything so I'd go home and rest...but I went anyway and she gave us an assignment. You really can't miss anything for any reason.
Click to expand...

Well, I likely wouldn't go to half classes unless I have a regular class right after.
 
Kalle said:
Interesting, I have technical writing course at the moment. It's a good field to get in to, plus you have some creative freedom compared to other writing jobs like a copywriter. It'd be great to have a degree in creative writing, but that's essentially a dead end now. Plus, with technical writing you don't need a certificate to get a good job; you just show off your skill on what you've worked on in the past! Not sure about technical communication though. How are your classes?

Hipstery city? Move to Portland or Chicago. I live in the latter and hang out at hipster bars almost every weekend. It's love.
Click to expand...

I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Oregon! I've never considered looking at Chicago, but I do have family there. Maybe I'll visit sometime.

I didn't intend to end up with an English major, but I've been a natural writer my entire life. I was stuck in dozens of programming and calculus classes that I hated. I still have a leg up on other Tech Writing majors because of my IT minor; I have two mathy/programming classes left for that. My English classes are a piece of cake to me--though it involves much more writing and reading than my STEM classes did. Do you like your classes?
 
I'm currently working towards a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons). The division of engineering I'm in is Civil & Natural Resources engineering. Next year I'm heading off in the natural resources section rather than civil. Natural resources is pretty much the same as civil anyway, it's just that we have less focus on the structural part of engineering and more focus on environmental stuff.

I live at home, and like the OP I also live a fair distance from my university which sucks. It's not too bad, I still go in everyday and make sure I miss as few classes as possible. The only time I miss classes is when I only have one or two lectures and don't think it's worth going into uni. That's fairly rare in engineering though haha.

We do quite a mix of courses. There's engineering maths, engineering materials, soil mechanics, fluid mechanics, environmental engineering etc. It really is a mix of everything; chemistry, physics, maths, geology, even biology and psychology. I quite like that because you get to learn a bit from every subject rather than heavily indulging into a singular subject.

I don't really have a favourite subject, I like a bit of everything. I liked the part of soil mechanics where we had to research the geology of our home, I don't know why I just found it so interesting where the soil I'm on had came from. I liked learning about water quality, drinking and wastewater treatments in enviro eng. I liked parts of transport engineering where we learnt about what makes drivers make decisions that they make on the road, like the psychology behind road design and such. My absolute favourite thing is learning about anything has to do with the affects on the environment and how to minimise and ensure that everything is at a safe level.

I'm not sure what exact specialization I want to go into in natural resources, possibly something to do with water care or protecting the ecosystems. That decision comes around in my last year so I've got time to think about it. College sure has been tough so far, that's for sure.
 
Skyzeri said:
I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Oregon! I've never considered looking at Chicago, but I do have family there. Maybe I'll visit sometime.

I didn't intend to end up with an English major, but I've been a natural writer my entire life. I was stuck in dozens of programming and calculus classes that I hated. I still have a leg up on other Tech Writing majors because of my IT minor; I have two mathy/programming classes left for that. My English classes are a piece of cake to me--though it involves much more writing and reading than my STEM classes did. Do you like your classes?
Click to expand...

If you do visit Chicago, check out the Empty Bottle, Schubas, or Lincoln Hall.

I can't imagine having to take calculus... I'm terrible at math—specifically college algebra. It's a requirement though, so I still have to pass a 100-level in order to graduate. What type of writing do you like to do outside of college?

I do like my classes, but mostly just the English ones. I took a 300-level Shakespeare class during my first semester, just to get a more difficult class out of the way early. Despite the boring lecture-only method of teaching applied, the class itself was great as whole. There was a lot of little work to keep me on my toes throughout the semester. For my final 14 pg. paper with annotated bib I was able to pick whatever I wanted to write about. I ended up focusing on destructive narcissism in Othello and The Winter’s Tale.
 
College is hard man. Im from Texas but go to a top ranking school in Massachusetts. Im a biology major and German minor, and I am going abroad to Germany next semester. I came from a small high school that didnt offer a lot of AP classes, and so my first year I definitely felt like I was not as smart as everyone else/not as prepared. I also had a hard time balancing school and social life since I didn't really have many friends in high school, and like I said, my high school was pretty easy for me. Also the adjustment of moving across the country was hard culturally. I definitely got a few C's my first year which I totally regret. By the time I "shaped up" I realized my gpa was not what I wanted and I would have to work really hard to bring it up. I am a junior now but still dont really know what I want to do after college. For one hot sec I considered med school but like I said, my gpa isnt all that outstanding, and I don't have enough time anymore to complete all the prereqs.

I found that I love my lab classes and working in lab. One of my favorite labs was my marine ecology lab that took an overnight field trip to Maine to conduct an experiment on snails, kelp, and crabs along the coast. I also really enjoyed a cell biology class I did last semester. This semester I am really loving my evolution class. Perhaps I'll be a forensic scientist or conservation biologist, but right now I still have no idea!
 
apologizing rn bc this got really long and lowkey turned into a frustrated vent post lmfao. i'll just put it in a spoiler to not take up too much space. :p

i'm getting into that time period where i'm filling out the common application and all that nonsense. i mean really, it asks so many questions! do you HAVE to know when and where my brothers went to school ?! i don't have my transcript yet ! leave me alone!! how am i supposed to know what tests i plan to take and when!! jeez !

but yeah i'm working on it. i used to be all over the place when it comes to where i want to go and what i want to major in, but right now i'm thinking of going to a small women's college and being a Super Legacy? (my mom, her sisters, and her mother all went to this school, and i honestly had no interest in it until i visited last month). i'm also thinking of majoring in psychology. before i was thinking between english(/creative writing) and graphic design (and maybe photography), and hoping to go to SCAD.
but since it's super expensive and tuition price is same for both grad and undergrad so i could always decide to go there for grad school if i decide i want a masters in creative writing or something.
but since my interest in psychology blossomed i realized that if i go to an art school like that, if i changed my mind and decided i wanted to major in something other than my creative interests i'd have to switch schools, not just majors.

but i always have doubt and its super frustrating :mad: i spent a summer at scad and i felt really at home just being surrounded by so many creative people in a creative environment. i mean, have you BEEN inside hamilton hall? the lobbies of all the buildings and residencies are imaginative and amazing. and i swear i've never seen so many imacs in my life, and graphic design gets new ones every year! the school has so many opportunities and such a reputation that you can get a good paying job after graduating. my brother's close friend graduated from there and immediately got a job with microsoft in sanfran. i mean, what the heck.
then it's not too far from my home in florida so i could drive down or hop on the train for the holidays, and the climate isn't much different. and it's close to the BEACH!

but there's always that DOUBT! like, i won't get as much money in a potential writing career. it's not like i'd be broke, but i'd just be working as a copyeditor or writing buzzfeed articles or something and get paid just enough. and then i won't get rich unless i strike gold and write a bestselling YA trilogy or something.
i very much enjoy writing but right now it seems like a rocky road, especially with my lack of motivation and creativity lately.
and i love graphic design as well. it doesn't take as much, i dont know, brainpower, i guess, as writing does. it's just been something i enjoy doing - same with photography.
but there's always that seed of doubt in my mind. plus, savannah isn't as amazing as i'd romanticized it since the last time i visited before my summer workshop. :rolleyes:

and then i visited my mother's school (in a small college town in missouri where we have a handful of family friends, where my parents met and lived for a while, and where there's actually changes in season lmao) and just fell in love with the school and town.
but it's far from home and the absolute farthest you could get from the beach and let me tell you if it gets any colder than 50?F i die.
but there's just a beauty in the nature and in the fall and in the town that we just don't have in florida. and i'd feel very safe at the college, and since it's small there's more personal attention to the students. i mean, they even told me that they care about us more than we do. that's dedication to your students (unlike the giant state college just down the road, cough cough)

tbh i'll probably just major in psych and minor in one of my creative fields.
maybe i'll dual major, but idk how much work that'll be or if i could handle it lmao.

but yeah tl;dr i was a Mess before and now im slightly less of a mess but still flip flopping around.

uhhhhh yeah sorry this was a GIGANTIC MESS. wish me luck on applying lmfao.
 
I'm in university, 1st year! So far I love it, its a really different experience compared to high school...

I'm majoring English and History, was going to do English and Psychology but I really! am ! not! enjoying! statistics!!! so yeah.

but other than that I'm pretty excited for the years to come. I guess I shouldn't really be excited about getting older but, the experiences you have in university/college are there to stay for a while. So make 'em good! ^-^
 
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This is a great thread! I love it when Animal Crossing combines with the other thing in my life that takes a lot of my time - university.

I've taken a while to decide what I wanted to really do and after trying uni for a year when I finished high school (2008), I didn't really think it was for me. Fast forward to now and I am absolutely in love with academics. My major/degree is a Bachelor of Social Work.

As of this year I study online at Deakin University but before that I was an internal student at a university in Queensland (Australia). I loved my first uni, maybe more than most people do and it made me so sad to leave but I needed to as my husband and I were moving interstate. So I live pretty far from my school, about 8 hours, but thankfully I only really need to go there once a year for various intensives.

Any one else here an Australian uni student?
 
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