Things you didn't know you would miss

[Saverio C.]

Hey everyone. I haven't been around much because I've been integrating into college life. Now that's I've done it I probably will be around more, but that's not why I made a thread. As of know I want to scream so I am going to post what I miss from home that the people here can't give. It's not that flowery s**t like friends and family, or moms cooking. It's a god damned challenge.

This school is just not engaging me at all. I do the readings and I am suddenly at the top of my classes, s**t I don't even have to read in ethics to keep far ahead of the people there. It's just boring and simple. I thought the challenge in college would be having the spirit to get all the work done here. "high school is nothing like college" is all I heard my entire life, and you know what, it's not like high school. High school makes you ******** work each day, even if it is trivial busy work. It's not that there is so much work, it's that there is no difficulty in trying.

It's not just in classes either! No one here can provide me with a challenge in just about any game. I whoop a** in cards, video games (old and new), board games, and even physical s**t. At home I am no where near this good at things. I am so used to having walls to push against in everything I do. I shouldn't be this much better then they are. s**t I am even on par physically with the people here. Is there lead in New Jersey's water?

Am I the only one who wants a challenge here? If so I'll coast until I get to law school.  

[Slim95]

Hey there, Cookie~! Gosh, it's been ages since I've spoken to you... I haven't been around here either; just came back sometime this week. sweatdrop I can't even text you when the whim strikes me, because I don't have a phone... (Lost it. gonk )

I know what you mean about college. Last year, I thought I'd do a program called Running Start to get a taste of college. I destroyed the placement test; got to take whichever English course I chose as long as it didn't have any prerequisites. I wanted to choose something I was passionate about, so I took Writing Fiction. I couldn't really take it seriously once I was in it, though... Got to the top of my class easily, and pretty much... disregarded it after a point. So I only turned in about 3 of my 10 assignments. And STILL got a C somehow. It was bad of me to slack off, but I got really arrogant in there, and because it was online it was easy to slip my mind...

All of my friends are scared to death of college... But I feel ready.  

[Shram]

The definition of college needs to be tuned me thinks
is there a difference between english college and american college?  

[Erverain]

There's no corporal punishment in American colleges. I think. Unless you count hazing as some form of punishment...
Also, American colleges tend to stop caring after they get your money.  

[Elcia]

@Shram: there are some differences yes. (at least from what I hear about colleges in other parts of europe)

It also depends on the college and the teachers.
I go to a tiny one and am in small departments. So I know all the teachers and some of them really really care.

It does get harder as you go along too. Freshman year classes are pretty easy in general especially if you where either well prepared or if you have particularly "dumbed down" minded teachers .  

[Slim95]

@Elcia: The college I'm hitting up next year seems tame... It's the one I did my Running Start at. I'm hoping the classes I'll be taking will be more stimulating than that Writing Fiction course. I'll try to avoid doing them entirely online as well.  

[Elcia]

Yeah I've taken about three online classes and they are a mixed thing.
Yeah you can study whenever is good for you in theory... but there's a lot more busy type work to compensate for lack of class discussion. And it's easy to forget about it.
One class, we had instant messaging going for a bit there that was a half descent substitute for actual in class time.
And I know some teachers will actually make tapes of their lecture for you to watch. (which is neat but I've never had that)  

[Slim95]

We had plenty of class discussion. I'm not sure how your classes were operated, but ours was on a forum, so... Everybody had an opportunity to speak their mind and respond frequently to various topics. We never did instant messaging, though.  

[Kalstolyn]

@Shram: College in England is actually Senior High, from what I am able to understand from talking to Brits. College in the US is actually university, apparently. College is Canada is for the people who are too stupid or unambitious for university, and for people who only want to go to school for a year or two before they can get a decent job.

That being said, I have discovered that college is a lot harder than university because there is WAY more work. The worst part is that none of it is hard or challenging, there's just SO FREAKING MUCH OF IT!

First year university is a breeze, Sav, wait until you start having to take senior level university classes and doing research all freaking day and night.  

[124-C]

Yeah, in the US the terms "college" and "university" are used pretty much interchangeably and denotes any organization of higher learning that has the authority to grant degrees. From the tiny a** community colleges that basically sell you an associate's degree for the cost of tuition to the major Ivy League Universities that demand your soul just for admittance...  

[Kalstolyn]

I don't think we have associate's degrees here. Colleges grant diplomas and certificates, universities grant degrees, the lowest degree you can get is the bachelor's degree. Some colleges can give university transfer credit, which is only really useful if you go to a university after to finish the degree, and universities tend to have residency rules -- you have to complete a certain number of credits at the institution granting the degree in order for them to do so.

My college was recently given permission by the government to start calling itself a university. This means my tuition is probably going to be hiked asstastically high in January, even though I'm not taking any university courses.  

[Chexley]

I'll paint you mornings of gold,
I'll spin you Valentine evenings...

I'm not at that point in my life where I'm actually going away for college. I will, however, be joining the USAF and all that training, yelling and the same ol' food day-in-and-day-out will certainly drive my mind to some degree of insanity.

I agree with Elcia that classes right now seem easy. They're there to get you eased into the college lifestyle before you buckle down and are thrust into tougher classes.

@Slim: I thought I wouldn't be ready for college. Everyone around me was pressuring me left, right, up and down to have me get started. I became scared and pressured. I told everyone that I was going to screw college, that it wasn't for me. Well, once I got the reins in my own hands, it's very easy. It certainly tests your responsibility, that's for sure. ( sweatdrop )

Though we're strangers till now,
We're choosing a path between the stars.

 

[Shram]

the reason I ask is because I went to College in england.
Failed all classes though sadly
psychology I failed because I am not very good at getting my thoughts on paper with a pen