13
   

Is college any better than high school?

 
 
mi3fit
 
Reply Thu 3 Nov, 2005 08:06 pm
i'm sorry, this might not be the right place to ask this kind of question, but.. i couldnt find a category that fits my question but still, here i believe most of you guys are well educated adults, so rather than posting in some teen forums, i decided to post it here.

i'm senior and i'm so sick of high school.
i really hate most ppl who goes to my school, they're all immature assholes and annoying and just ppl who i dont want to be friends with.

is college better than high school? is it more fun? more enjoyable?

please answer only if you already went to college or who are currently attending, no assumptions please.

i know essential problem lies in myself but i still wanted to know if college is any better than high school, if not, im not gonna bother going, i dont care about the education, honestly i want to apply to college only because i hope that i'll find amazing people and make awesome friends who will last life time.

thanks.
 
littlek
 
  1  
Reply Thu 3 Nov, 2005 08:08 pm
I found college to be waaaaaay better. But, I'm not sure it was the people there who made it better. I was more challenged (not by much, unfortunately) and I was away from home.
0 Replies
 
Questioner
 
  1  
Reply Thu 3 Nov, 2005 08:18 pm
Re: Is college any better than high school?
mi3fit wrote:
i'm sorry, this might not be the right place to ask this kind of question, but.. i couldnt find a category that fits my question but still, here i believe most of you guys are well educated adults, so rather than posting in some teen forums, i decided to post it here.

i'm senior and i'm so sick of high school.
i really hate most ppl who goes to my school, they're all immature **** and annoying and just ppl who i dont want to be friends with.


While you'll still have some immature and annoying people (ie: frat boys/girls) in college, on the whole you'll find it a much more enjoyable environment imo.

Quote:
is college better than high school? is it more fun? more enjoyable?


Yes, yes, and yes. In college you get choices. You have to take the core classes and get them out of the way, typically your freshman year. BUT, once you get past those and decide on your major you get to learn about a subject of your own choosing. Not only that, but the things taught in college are easilly applicable to what you will be doing later in life, which takes a bit of the boredom out of it.

Quote:
please answer only if you already went to college or who are currently attending, no assumptions please.

i know essential problem lies in myself but i still wanted to know if college is any better than high school, if not, im not gonna bother going, i dont care about the education, honestly i want to apply to college only because i hope that i'll find amazing people and make awesome friends who will last life time.

thanks.


Unless you're a jock, a very talented geek, or a very popular person, High school is usually always a drag. The education will become more and more important to you the longer you remain at the university. There will always be dopes and morons present throughout your life, but for the most part you'll find a group of people in college that are capable of semi-intelligent coversation and hold ideals and goals that are infectious.

I strongly recommend that you attempt it. Once you get in, and select a major I can almost garuntee that you will not regret it.

Cheers.
0 Replies
 
Green Witch
 
  2  
Reply Thu 3 Nov, 2005 08:27 pm
YES! YES! YES! - you can't compare the two. Make sure you go away to school, no staying at home with mommy & daddy and commuting. No local community college either, go away, far away from all you have known.

College is a great way to meet new people, have fun and become a grown-up. It also makes it easier to get a job. College grads make on average 75% more money than just HS grads. Don't worry about what to study, most people don't end up in career that was related to their degree. Just go and soak up the new environment. If at all possible, spend some time studying in another country, many schools have exchange programs.
0 Replies
 
mi3fit
 
  1  
Reply Thu 3 Nov, 2005 09:48 pm
Re: Is college any better than high school?
Questioner wrote:
mi3fit wrote:
i'm sorry, this might not be the right place to ask this kind of question, but.. i couldnt find a category that fits my question but still, here i believe most of you guys are well educated adults, so rather than posting in some teen forums, i decided to post it here.

i'm senior and i'm so sick of high school.
i really hate most ppl who goes to my school, they're all immature **** and annoying and just ppl who i dont want to be friends with.


While you'll still have some immature and annoying people (ie: frat boys/girls) in college, on the whole you'll find it a much more enjoyable environment imo.

Quote:
is college better than high school? is it more fun? more enjoyable?


Yes, yes, and yes. In college you get choices. You have to take the core classes and get them out of the way, typically your freshman year. BUT, once you get past those and decide on your major you get to learn about a subject of your own choosing. Not only that, but the things taught in college are easilly applicable to what you will be doing later in life, which takes a bit of the boredom out of it.

Quote:
please answer only if you already went to college or who are currently attending, no assumptions please.

i know essential problem lies in myself but i still wanted to know if college is any better than high school, if not, im not gonna bother going, i dont care about the education, honestly i want to apply to college only because i hope that i'll find amazing people and make awesome friends who will last life time.

thanks.


Unless you're a jock, a very talented geek, or a very popular person, High school is usually always a drag. The education will become more and more important to you the longer you remain at the university. There will always be dopes and morons present throughout your life, but for the most part you'll find a group of people in college that are capable of semi-intelligent coversation and hold ideals and goals that are infectious.

I strongly recommend that you attempt it. Once you get in, and select a major I can almost garuntee that you will not regret it.

Cheers.



thank you so much for your detailed answer.
i really, really appreciate it. =)
0 Replies
 
Questioner
 
  1  
Reply Thu 3 Nov, 2005 09:53 pm
Not a problem.

If you are so inclined as to do a follow up with what you've chosen when the time comes I'd love to hear about it.

Good luck to you!
0 Replies
 
Slappy Doo Hoo
 
  1  
Reply Thu 3 Nov, 2005 10:23 pm
Yes, college is MUCH better than high school.

I graduated college 6 years ago...there are still things I miss about college. Nothing I really miss about high school.

You can go really nuts and have a lot of fun, but it still takes some discipline to make it through.
0 Replies
 
ralpheb
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 11:30 am
Are you going there for a social experience or are you going there for an education? Maybe I veiw college from a different perspective. I didn't start until I was in my early 30's and I worked 1 full time and two part time jobs. My focus was on education, not trying to be a social butterfly. As I sat in one of my classes, the age difference became dramatic as I was focusing on attaining another "A" and a fellow classmate who was maybe 20 said to his friend "D means degree." If getting drunk and stupid are your goals, don't spend 4 years in college. Save the worry and just live in the gutter.
Yea, I know, I should lighten up. Wait till you become a parent and see who you wasted your life and then tell me if I was right or wrong.
0 Replies
 
Bella Dea
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 11:33 am
Hell, I can't really remember high school, that's how boring and uneventful it was. College, that's another story. I can recount numerous events and things I did, people I met. There is nothing like it. Enjoy it and experience everything. And as the Dead Poets would say "Suck the marrow out of life."
0 Replies
 
Bella Dea
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 11:35 am
ralpheb wrote:

Yea, I know, I should lighten up. Wait till you become a parent and see who you wasted your life and then tell me if I was right or wrong.


I don't need to wait to be a parent to say you are wrong. I partied just as hard as I studied and I don't think any moment of my life was wasted. College as a 20 year old is far different than when you've "been out there in the real world". It's the time when you experiment with how far you can push yourself, your first taste of freedom and reality. Yes, college is an education but it's also a life experience. You do need to lighten up.
0 Replies
 
ralpheb
 
  0  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 11:49 am
I will never lighten up, not one bit. And, it discusts me to no end listening to so called teachers who barely got through college and now they are supposed to set some kind of example for the next generations. I am a steadfast believer in leadership by example. What do you plan on telling your children, hey go to college get drunk and stoned and don't worry if you're a complete failure, at least you had fun.
Oh, I'll have fries with that burger.
0 Replies
 
jespah
 
  3  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 11:50 am
Oh, college, hands down, is superior. Keep in mind, of course, that most people are more mature and also that the work is tougher and is not lowest common denominator. Also, High School (to an extent) is mandatory, regardless of ability, whereas college (well, above a certain level) requires that you actually work to get in, or work to stay in. Hence you're dealing with people who are (generally) more with it intellectually because they have to be.

There is a lot of fun in college (I certainly did my share of partying), but it is also the place to get yourself in gear and figure out, fundamentally, what you want your life to be like. That's kind of a powerful, neat thing, and it can be a little scary.

One piece of wholly unsolicited advice about college - take at least one class per year that is totally unrelated to your field of study. Something hard. Something weird. Something that might not be the greatest thing for your GPA. And go to class, apply yourself, there, just like you do in your field of study. You might find you like this other thing. You might find that your assumptions about yourself, or about this unexpected area of study were incorrect. Or maybe that they were correct. But you will never know until you try.

High School, if you are set on going to college, is a way to clear your basic college requirements. What are those?
* Freshman Comp (this is English 101)
* basic American or European History
* first-year Biology or Physics or Chemistry
* foreign language
* first-year Calculus

Yeah, that's hard stuff, but if you clear it in High School, you do it for free, and then you can spend your time and money in college on things that are more of interest to you (plus your danger class, like I mentioned above). Clear these classes by taking AP if you can in High School. If you can't get into AP, take the hardest High School classes you can. College will not feel as hard if you apply yourself in High School.

BTW, my danger classes were -
Freshman year: German Literature
Sophomore year: Botany
Junior year: Creative Writing
Senior year: Film Interpretation

Smile Enjoy.
0 Replies
 
jespah
 
  2  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 11:56 am
PS I had plenty of fun in college, and no, I was not sedated all the time by any means. And no, I do not flip burgers, and I never have.

I have a law degree. I have practiced law. I left it because I did not care for it and not because of any lack of ability. I currently work as a voice recognition engineer in IT. Just because I was not in the library 24/7 back in the early '80s does not mean that I became any sort of a failure. I'm sure that's true of a lot of people. Really. Smile
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 12:30 pm
Everyone is different, but I found in most cases college is much better than high school. One - most other students in college are there to actually get an education and to learn (there are those just attending because that is what they are supposed to do). Two - especially if you live at school - you are much more independent. You get the opportunity to be on your own and make pretty much all your own decisions.

Many of the college students are similar to you. They did not really like high school, but college puts in a place where you have more people with similar interests. Partying is a part of it if you want it to be. I think a good dose (within reason) is fine. Not everyone is like Ralph stated. Most party and work hard. Those that party and don't work, end up failing and leaving. Another good aspect is that you start at ground zero along with every other freshman. You get to meet new people and no one has a preconceived notion of you.

College is so different and as you get to make the choices yourself, it is what you make of it.
0 Replies
 
Dartagnan
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 12:43 pm
College is where I grew up. When it hit me that the profs essentially were leaving it up to me to sink or swim, I got busy. Took a year to figure this out. When I first showed up, I thought some authority would tell us when we could watch the tv in the dorm rec room.

Oh, I was naive. Freedom!
0 Replies
 
Bella Dea
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 01:13 pm
ralpheb wrote:
What do you plan on telling your children, hey go to college get drunk and stoned and don't worry if you're a complete failure, at least you had fun.
Oh, I'll have fries with that burger.


Who said anything about that?
0 Replies
 
Noddy24
 
  2  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 02:19 pm
Your high school population is based on the families who live in a certain geographic area.

Your college population has been doubly selected: first by the kids who choose to apply and second by the Admissions Department who pick the student body according to personality and achievement

You'll meet kids with a variety of backgrounds and a variety of talents and have a chance to pick and choose your friends for themselves and not for home town geography.

Some nitwits do choose to major in Party, but the majority of students have some degree of interest in a mental life and making sense of the world.

Some high school graduates spend their time looking back to the "best years" of their lives. Most college graduates, commence and move forward equipped to explore the world.

Opt for College.
0 Replies
 
Questioner
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 03:17 pm
ralpheb wrote:
I will never lighten up, not one bit. And, it discusts me to no end listening to so called teachers who barely got through college and now they are supposed to set some kind of example for the next generations. I am a steadfast believer in leadership by example. What do you plan on telling your children, hey go to college get drunk and stoned and don't worry if you're a complete failure, at least you had fun.
Oh, I'll have fries with that burger.


The main difference between the slackers that are there just to party and get a piece of paper and those that actually work hard and learn is that later in life when they get a job in their field, those that learned will become better quicker, while those that slacked will be held up while learning in life what they should have in college.

And you are grossly generalizing college professors with your diatribe about "barely passing". It is standard practice in most accredited universities that all of their professors have at minimum a Master's level degree in either their field or a comparable one. If you've gone through a masters course you'll know that slacking in one yields nothing but a boot in the rump and a fond farewell.
0 Replies
 
flushd
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Nov, 2005 10:02 pm
Okay; I haven't done the whole college thing. The only time I have spent in colleges and universities is work-related courses and the occassional class. I did it because I wanted to; and I paid for every second there.
I can't wait to get a back there to get that degree I have been longing for.

Your original question was whether college is better than high school. So far; you have got resounding YES's. Let's face it - high school sucks. In college you have a better chance of taking out of it what you personally want.

I get a little jealous thinking of folks who are lucky enough to go to college right out of high school. It is a priveledge. If you have the chance to go; I say go for it! Learn, meet people, and have a good time in the process. Live it to the best of your ability.

If you feel a bit frightened by the whole idea...just think of the poor buggers who work and work and work and never get the opportunity to do this. Go!
0 Replies
 
subtleone
 
  1  
Reply Tue 8 Nov, 2005 03:46 am
Noddy24 wrote:
Some nitwits do choose to major in Party, but the majority of students have some degree of interest in a mental life and making sense of the world.


Nitwits...I've forgotten how much I love that word. Laughing Thanks for the laugh, Noddy.

Regarding the original post, I would agree that college has greater potential for making valuable relationships but I do have a point of caution.

Although you haven't found them, I believe that there are pockets of great, interesting, and driven people at the high school level, no matter where you attend school.

You won't find them, though, if all you do is go to math, english, and government, and then go home. These people are the ones doing things like playing music, working for the yearbook or school paper, peer tutoring, and the like.

If you aren't involved in something MEANINGFUL TO YOU, especially since, as you've already said, academics are not meaningful to you, you will never find people with whom you can form a strong connection; high school, college, or otherwise.
0 Replies
 
 

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