I had a fairly good college experience but not even close to being the best 4 years of my life. Tough to say what my favorite years have been but the stage of raising babies/young kids has been pretty wonderful

I had fun but has a tough caseload.
My best time was right after college.

Anonymous wrote:I think it was at the time. Food, lodging, independence, and my parents gave me some financial support. Going out, partying, staying out late. Very little responsibilities except for getting good grades.

But, as I moved one, I’ve had better experiences with love, marriage, kids, etc.

Life in the DC area is so stressful. I see kids in high school in club sports, doing robotics, STEM, piano, etc. constantly striving to be the best so they can get in a T10 college. All these kids are looking for internships in HS. Stressing about getting into college. All this competition. Life was definitely less stressful and more fun back in the day. College was more carefree. I did not get my first job till I graduated college.

College easily the most difficult and stressful thing I have ever done. On my own since age 18 - zero parental involvement. No help from anyone. Tough Teamsters job in the summer for 8 weeks for expenses. After travel costs, not much to live on. I was a tough and self reliant kid but it was not easy. The school was tough to master (6 percent acceptance rate today) and the highest ranked school east of thr Mississippi to give athletic scholarships. Was on a 75 percent scholarship so food and essentially starving was a problem. I was a social outcast too and had an entirely different worldview than most. During Thanksgiving and the holidays the dorms closed so I slept in the locker room. I didn’t feel like a victim as the freedom was great but after completing the school I realized my body wouldn’t have made it much longer. Despite being heavily recruited I had modest talent and only succeeded with training with maniacal intensity. Did finish an honors program with high honors so wasn’t a slacker, but have regrets about not spending more time as a student. I turned down West Point and regretted it because i would not have starved, but it wasn’t really my thing. I guess the best thing I did was simply finish after thinking about quitting every week. Some think an impressive credential but given my limited time to focus my education is a bit scammy. Not sure I had a choice.

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.

Mine was the exact same experience.

I was in a completely different social sphere than PP and agree with him that college was great for all the same reasons.

I enjoy being an adult with a family, and certainly have had more peak experiences since college. But as a lifestyle living on a campus is hard to top.

I think it was at the time. Food, lodging, independence, and my parents gave me some financial support. Going out, partying, staying out late. Very little responsibilities except for getting good grades.

But, as I moved one, I’ve had better experiences with love, marriage, kids, etc.

Life in the DC area is so stressful. I see kids in high school in club sports, doing robotics, STEM, piano, etc. constantly striving to be the best so they can get in a T10 college. All these kids are looking for internships in HS. Stressing about getting into college. All this competition. Life was definitely less stressful and more fun back in the day. College was more carefree. I did not get my first job till I graduated college.

Anonymous wrote:I had a very good experience, but it wasn't the best four years of my life.

The best were probably my mid-late 20s. I had disposable income, lived in a great place, was doing well in work, met my DH, had TONS of free time to pursue hobbies, traveled a bunch, was pretty harmonious with my parents.

College had lots of ups. But it also had a year+ of loneliness while I figured things out. I had a bad eating disorder that now I can see damaged my experience. A few other downs.

This sounds like my experience too, without the eating disorder-just obsessive dieting. I hope that issue has resolved for you. My mid to late twenties were great-same reasons

Anonymous wrote:I had one sexual partner in four years of college, and we only dated for six months. DEFINITELY not the best years of my life.

This is why you should always shoot for a top-tier house.

I had one sexual partner in four years of college, and we only dated for six months. DEFINITELY not the best years of my life.

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.

Sounds like Lehigh in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Am I right?

Nope. SEC, and a bit later. But worked with a recent Lehigh grad in my first job out of college. Awesome guy who pulled.

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.

Sounds like Lehigh in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Am I right?

Definitely 4 of the best--I remember always waking up SOOOO excited for everything the day would bring and it was always crazy. Also thought law school was amazing. I love being in school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

100000% not the "best years of my life." It was fun, sure. But, "peaking" in HS or college is so sad, imo. You still have 50 plus years ahead of you (hopefully) and I'd hate for it to be all downhill. You have to find your joy in all stages. (And FTR, right now approaching empty nest/menopause/ post-middle age, this is the stage I'm struggling with the most of any in my life. Up until now, I've been fairly successful navigating the bad in every stage and finding joy/happiness in the good.

You are really overthinking this.

College was great for be because of the lack of responsibility. I only had to take care of me!

Yes there's a great joy in marriage, kids, work, etc. But it's also stressful and grinding.

I'm planning to retire in 20 months and am hoping to get that college level of Zen before bad health or something else puts it out of reach.

Overthinking? You basically said the same thing I did. College was great. Each stage has its ups/downs and you try to enjoy the ups more.

You may disagree with the “peak” comments but that’s the way I’ve always thought about it (college or hs as best years of life).

Anonymous wrote:

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?

100000% not the "best years of my life." It was fun, sure. But, "peaking" in HS or college is so sad, imo. You still have 50 plus years ahead of you (hopefully) and I'd hate for it to be all downhill. You have to find your joy in all stages. (And FTR, right now approaching empty nest/menopause/ post-middle age, this is the stage I'm struggling with the most of any in my life. Up until now, I've been fairly successful navigating the bad in every stage and finding joy/happiness in the good.

You are really overthinking this.

College was great for be because of the lack of responsibility. I only had to take care of me!

Yes there's a great joy in marriage, kids, work, etc. But it's also stressful and grinding.

I'm planning to retire in 20 months and am hoping to get that college level of Zen before bad health or something else puts it out of reach.

Maybe I'm weird but I don't think any years were the best of my life. The year I was sick, definitely not great. But everything else has been mixed. I met my husband in college, that was great, but I also was constantly working and studying and I was too broke to do a lot of fun things. Once I got out of school and started making money I had more responsibilities but also the ability to afford the things I dreamed about doing when I was younger. And then of course while there's hard parts to being a parent there's a lot of joy there too.

And who knows what's ahead?

Anonymous wrote:No one is talking about peaking in college and no not the best four years but I would much rather be in college going to games than travelling through Europe and Asia.

I would too, and so, I suspect, would many of the people expressing disbelief at this sentiment. But this is DCUM, so you have to sound cultured and intellectual, even though it's an anonymous forum. Greek life bad, diversity good. Football bad, world travel good.