Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working two jobs and putting myself through school? Broke and exhausted? Um, no.

For rich kids being subsidized by their parents to party and bring guaranteed cushy summer internships, seems like it could be fun.

+1

Well then let those people enjoy their memories.

I really loved college. It felt like a very special time to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not any more. Kids' summers are filled with new requirements that many parents didn't have to deal with - research and internship. So, no, not true at this point.

I know plenty of college aged kids whose summer jobs are the same sorts of things I did - camp counselor, wait staff/restaurant hostess, retail, etc. Also the ones who tout their internships often seem to be remote, cush ones (or stay at college to “do research” for a professor which usually sounds like a calm and fun summer with other students around). Of course there are students doing serious work, too, but plenty have “regular” temporary jobs.

Yes, I was talking about top performing kids.

Life is good at any point where you are still naive and someone else is paying for experience/you have a ton of free time and money through a high paying job.

For some it's college for others its the few years of being single after college.

You realize when this is after the fact, in retrospect. Very few recognize this while they are going through it..because they are still naive.

Anonymous wrote:Not any more. Kids' summers are filled with new requirements that many parents didn't have to deal with - research and internship. So, no, not true at this point.

I know plenty of college aged kids whose summer jobs are the same sorts of things I did - camp counselor, wait staff/restaurant hostess, retail, etc. Also the ones who tout their internships often seem to be remote, cush ones (or stay at college to “do research” for a professor which usually sounds like a calm and fun summer with other students around). Of course there are students doing serious work, too, but plenty have “regular” temporary jobs.

Anonymous wrote:Working two jobs and putting myself through school? Broke and exhausted? Um, no.

For rich kids being subsidized by their parents to party and bring guaranteed cushy summer internships, seems like it could be fun.

+1

Anonymous wrote:WIth the pandemic, definitely not. College has not been the same experience and my Class of 2024 student is waiting for a "normal year"

Same for my college student. I am hoping he has a better grad school experience.

for those who never have anything to look forward to.; We all know the people who peaked in high school or college and never got past that. for them yes.

I feel sorry for people who say their best years were college. I feel like my 20s and 30s are awesome. More money, more fun.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what I found to be the best time of my life? The summer between high school and college. Just complete freedom. There was no pressure to do anything to pad your resume in order to get accepted to college. For the most part, you were an 18 year old kid without any responsibility. The last time to really have fun as a "kid"

This was maybe 40 years ago?
You can get by the first Summer in college, but you should get internship or meaningful Summer job otherwise you are behind.
This is a big stress for college kids.
"

She said the one summer between high school and college.

My college years wert the best years of my life. Grew up in a small town, went to school in Chicago. Had so much fun and met lifelong friends. I was an ok student--got As and Bs. I wasn't gunning for medical school or a high profile job.
Ended up working for a few years and then going to grad school at a top program.

My life has been pretty great all along but college was awesome. Complete freedom from responsibility besides going to class (which I enjoyed).

Anonymous wrote:I always feel that the best years of my life are the stage I am in at the moment.

I agree. Though I've had some trauma in life, so those stages were certainly not the best when I was in them or retrospectively. College falls into the trauma category. There were some good moments, but I don't like to let my mind wander back there.

College is a nice interlude between being a dependent and being independent and yet having few responsibilities or cares.

However, I was happier post college and pre kids, with my husband and I having fun all the time. Travelling, camping, socializing with friends....

Least happy with young kids, commutes, stressful jobs, expensive mortgage, etc.

Happy again now in my 50s because I moved away from DC to a beautiful place I love.

Not any more. Kids' summers are filled with new requirements that many parents didn't have to deal with - research and internship. So, no, not true at this point.

College was the time in my life when I was going to school, working full time and a part time job, changing out of work clothes in a parking lot before classes, and scarfing down food in my car as I crammed for tests on my lunch hour. Busy time.