A college is designed to be an enlightened resort paradise. Some else is paying, cooking, cleaning, and driving for the few things not in walking distance. Minimal obligations except to focus on building up yourself however you want. Everyone is near their peak of sexual desire and desirability and peak physical health.

Anonymous wrote:It was a good time, absolutely. I don’t know how you can call any point in your life the “best” time. There are a lot of good times, for different reasons.

The time most people spend in undergrad is unique because of the combination of new adult freedom and having very few actual responsibilities.

This was the case for me, but there were definitely growing pains along the way. DH and I really talked up college to our kid but his experience hasn’t been great and we regret selling it the way we did. Should’ve been more balanced in our approach. Freedom and few responsibilities doesn’t always translate into a great experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College was unbeatable. I was in a top-tier fraternity. There was an endless supply of fine women to date and hook up with. All my best friends were a short walk away -- sometimes just down the hall -- and always down to do fun stuff. My only responsibility was going to class 15 hours a week and crushing exams with the help of our extensive test bank. Parties every weekend. Football games. Tailgates. Did I mention the fine women? When else but college do you get to live like that? I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't get to have a college experience like mine.

I warned my DC about douchebags like you.

Douchebags
Furries
Nerds
Allergy kids
ADHD types
Gangbangers
Prim and proper
Slobs
Helicopter parent weaklings

Diversity is our strength

Left out blue hair nose ring types

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College was unbeatable. I was in a top-tier fraternity. There was an endless supply of fine women to date and hook up with. All my best friends were a short walk away -- sometimes just down the hall -- and always down to do fun stuff. My only responsibility was going to class 15 hours a week and crushing exams with the help of our extensive test bank. Parties every weekend. Football games. Tailgates. Did I mention the fine women? When else but college do you get to live like that? I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't get to have a college experience like mine.

I warned my DC about douchebags like you.

Douchebags
Furries
Nerds
Allergy kids
ADHD types
Gangbangers
Prim and proper
Slobs
Helicopter parent weaklings

Diversity is our strength

Anonymous wrote:College was unbeatable. I was in a top-tier fraternity. There was an endless supply of fine women to date and hook up with. All my best friends were a short walk away -- sometimes just down the hall -- and always down to do fun stuff. My only responsibility was going to class 15 hours a week and crushing exams with the help of our extensive test bank. Parties every weekend. Football games. Tailgates. Did I mention the fine women? When else but college do you get to live like that? I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't get to have a college experience like mine.

I warned my DC about douchebags like you.

Anonymous wrote:I keep reading on this forum that college was amazing back in the day. I look back and I don’t see it that way. I am still really good friends with one person after 20 years. I remember college as a time where I slept in, rolled out of bed, went to class if I felt like it, went out, drank, took tests, and had a work study job. Nothing of that was earth shattering amazing. I graduated with a B and got a job before my senior year ended in consulting.

Now I read these threads and everyone has this take on how kids aren’t experiencing college as it use to be and it was an amazing time for us back in the day. Is that really true?

I had rental houses right off campus at UMD for 35 years. Just finished selling the last one. Kids are nowhere near as fun or happy as they were before. Dropped a little every year since 2000ish. The parents are all over everything and the kids are more helpless regarding survival plus have zero sense of adventure / humor / imagination. There are exceptions of course but it used to be the norm. I predict a big change in the whole college organization because it’s become more miserable, less developmental and exponentially more expensive.

It was NOT the best 4 years of my life - actually, it was miserable. I worked, studied hard, took lots of credits, dealt with romantic breakups, the death of family members, lack of a real friend group. I pushed myself hard to get out in 4 years because I was so miserable. I remember being exhausted, emotionally drained, sick (mono, strep) and yet .....

I got a great education, learned about myself, and felt accomplished. But I did not enjoy the experience. Looking back, and thinking about our kids going through this - there was so much pressure to make it great that didn't help expectations and reality. I was so relieved to have it over I never, ever wanted to look back. I haven't been back to campus since I graduated, I only have a few friends from that period. I found life after college a much better experience.

I think this is something that some people (there's privilege involved here) say in retrospect. For a lot of middle-upper middle class people, college was special in-between time when we got to play grown ups without real fears and responsibilities. Compared to the real deal of being a grown up or the lack of freedom of being a kid, that sounds like the definition of fun. Also, the ease of making new friends part, for a lot of people, is unmatched.

I loved and sometimes hated my college years. I studies really hard and did very well academically. I had some great and not great social experiences. Socially, for me the most fun time of my life was definitely my late 20s. But the most meaningful and cherished (and super hard and exhausting), no question started once I got married and had family.

I had a great time. It was the first tast of independence and it was also a place that allowed me to build confidence. However, it was not the best time of my life. I loved my late 20s when I disposable income and had the ability to travel without many constraints.

I loved my college years! Those memories will forever be special. I’m so thankful that I was open to new experiences and new people. I truly loved it. I love that my DS is having the same attitude and having a great experience already!

Definitely not for me. I worked almost full time hours on top of school, lived off campus, didn't drink, was involved in one club, and was just there to get the degree. There were aspects I enjoyed and I made some good friends but I also couldn't wait to be done and get out into the real world.

Anonymous wrote:Engineering School was just a whole lot of hard work. It still is today. From colleagues who went to E School everywhere from MIT to Pungo Tech I hear the same story.

Were there some good moments, sure, but most of the time it was just a lot of hard work.

This. It was a hard process that led to a great career, and there was fun but it was not the most fun 4 yrs ever. That would be kind of sad to be done with the most fun at 22

Engineering School was just a whole lot of hard work. It still is today. From colleagues who went to E School everywhere from MIT to Pungo Tech I hear the same story.

Were there some good moments, sure, but most of the time it was just a lot of hard work.

I do NOT consider being drunk and high for 4.5 years the best time of my life. Should have started my freshman year in my mid to late 20s. Perhaps I could/would have learned something.

Anonymous wrote:College was unbeatable. I was in a top-tier fraternity. There was an endless supply of fine women to date and hook up with. All my best friends were a short walk away -- sometimes just down the hall -- and always down to do fun stuff. My only responsibility was going to class 15 hours a week and crushing exams with the help of our extensive test bank. Parties every weekend. Football games. Tailgates. Did I mention the fine women? When else but college do you get to live like that? I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't get to have a college experience like mine.

Me thinks you may have “painted both sides of the fence” my boy.