My doubts about college?

B

Badly Drawn Boy

New member
Before reading this, I ask that you put your judgments aside for a moment. And take note that I am not in fact an anti-social delinquent

Alright, so I just returned from my college orientation. I am having serious doubts about the whole college experience, and even to extent, about American life itself.
I enjoy learning, but in an environment that seems so overwhelming and demanding, I'm not sure I can deal with the pressure. I believe myself to be smart, and did fine in high school.
Whether it be the supposed 2-3 hours of studying, the distractions I will face, or the class presentations(which I'm rather terrified of), I'm truly not sure I can do it. The main flaw in the whole idea for me, is that even if I reach this supposed pinnacle of education and possibilities, where do I go from there? Do I seek a job that I will probably dislike, just for the money? I'm not very concerned with money, but I realize that in this modern world, it is absolutely necessary if you want to start a family(which I do). I really don't know what I want to do. I am continuously influenced by movies, books and music. One day I want to be an environmental engineer, the next day I want to be an accountant, or computer science major. And I can't be sure that any of them will ultimately lead to happiness!!!
Please help me!!! Am I in need of a new outlook on life? Maybe I need to find confidence within myself, or Jesus, or anything.

I realize that there are people all around the world, basically living in trash, that would give anything to be in my position. Thinking of this then makes me feel guilty that I can't even enjoy life while living in the land of possibilities, known as the United States. It's just overwhelming!!!!!!!!!!
 
I'm about to be a college freshman myself.
I'm kind of lost too... I feel like I should switch majors every week, and I'm not sure of the equilibrium between money and the enjoyability of a job. But, you WILL find the right path as you take more courses, especially your GEDs.

As for studying and college life, don't worry about it. I guarantee you that you will find a good group of friends, just like high school. As for studying, it's something nobody really likes to do, but it's necessary. If you major in something you enjoy, studying may feel a lot less difficult. The class presentations won't be easy, but the more you do and the more you practice, the more comfortable you will be. Most people are terrified of public speaking, so don't worry about it.

As for now, enjoy your summer and don't think about the anxiety of college too much!
 
I think that there are many people in your shoes. You should know that college opens a lot of doors for you(you get to talk to profs, get internships, part time jobs, volunteer experience, interest clubs etc). Therefore, you should go to college. Many people go to a community college for their first two years and maybe that's where you should start. That way, you can figure out where you want to be in life and you can avoid most of the distractions(cause you'll be at home). Going to community colleges also gives you more personalized attention and its slightly less stress than going into a big university.
The more you talk to people about your interests,goals, feelings about life . . .. maybe you will get a clear picture of where and what you want to be.
I also want to let you know that many people don't really have to decide what they want to be until after like 2 years of college . . .. so don't be in such a rush.
 
Your Answer:
I felt the same way you did 10 years ago. I was just out of high school and didn't want to go to college because it felt so intimidating. I decided to put it off for a few years until I felt ready for it, then eventually started college with a few years of maturity and an improved work ethic under my belt and I am now doing much better than I would have if I enrolled right after high school.

Looking back at how I felt and what I know now, you are really creating far too much pressure for yourself about college. There is no reason to feel terrified about class presentations. There is also no reason to stress yourself out about what to major in, since you can take your two years of Gen Ed classes before figuring out what you would be happy doing for the rest of your life. During that time, you will likely take a certain class or classes that inspire you to decide on a certain major (like what happened with me and my first accounting class)

So I have two pieces of advice, choose whichever suits you most:
1. Don't go to college yet. If you truly do not feel ready for college, do what I did and take some time to mature and figure things out before enrolling. If you go when you are not ready, you will just work up a lot of debt and drop out, essentially wasting time and money.
or
2. Enroll and relax. Stop stressing yourself out and just it one semester at a time. Once you see that you are putting way too much unnecessary pressure on yourself, hopefully you will be able to take it easy and have fun.
 
I encourage you to believe in yourself and try to imagine yourself at 30-40-50. Try to look around your community and try to picture which social role looks like the best match for you.

The point of life is to make a positive contribution. I appreciate the guy who can change my brake pads, but when I think about what they make and the conditions under which they work, it's clearly not for me. Like you,I wanted to have kids and provide well for them. This takes money, which required education. Basically you have to go to college for the doors of most rewarding professions to be open to you.

First you have to grow up and take responsibility for yourself. This is what college is for. You try things, you learn. You try other things, you learn. Over four years you learn what you like, what you hate. What you're good at and what comes hard for you.

This is why colleges exist and why you should go.

Ther eis no need to go to college knowing exactly where it will lead. That a technical school approach (which is fine).

You are young and have just cleared one of our society's first hurdles, high school. Remember that you have now left about 20% of you age group behind, since they dropped out of hs without graduating. After you graduate from college you will be in a 20-25% slice of our population who are college grads.

There are lots of ways to live your life and be happy. I suggest you study the lives of your elders and pick a path for yourself thet is most likely to get you the adult life style and income you are used to at present or more.

You mentioned that you anticipate hating your job. Just want you to know that some of us in our 60's love our work and our chance to make the world a littl better. I look forward to going to owrk and I hope you are as lucky as I have been

It'sw not about money, (but having enough is way different than not having enough) it's about being in a position to make a positive difference in the world.

Best Wishes.
 
Yes, you are right college can be overwhelming, but you dont have to worry. What you do have to do is find your true passion, something you love doing, and wouldnt mind doing for a long time. And the first year of college can be the time to explore and find out what it is, just make sure you only take general education requirements the first year because if you take required classes for your major, and then decide to change it next year, you just wasted time and money on that class. College degrees arent a mark of status, theyre more about getting an edge on the competition, competition that doesnt know as much about a particular subject as you would if you have a degree. And higher pay is a bonus, but like you said its not number one. Number one is doing what you love, that way you dont get stuck degree for job you hate.

Dont get too scared by the hours of studying or presesntations. You are taking them too seriously. You have to take things as they come to you one by one. For example, the first day your prof will hand out a syllabus and then lecture, take a few notes on what you think might be important, and then they will say ok read chapter 1 and theres a quiz on friday. Dont freak out, just go back home or to your dorm and immediately sit down and read the chapter, take a few notes on the main points of whats being talked about. Shouldnt take more than an hour. Then go to your next class, repeat, and youre done. You have the rest of the afternoon and evening to do whatever you want, no pressure to study for anything. Just repeat this process for everything given to you, essays, projects, homework, it seriously helps to get everything out of the way. Dont even worry about finals, they are just another test that you study for in the same manner you study for any quiz or test.

So to sum up, you dont need to feel pressure to be successful, you just need to find what you really love doing. Id suggest talking to a college advisor, or taking some free online tests to find out what your major could be, remember not SHOULD BE, but could be, because you many not like it. Remember to keep your options open freshman year, dont take major-related classes, insist on that at registration. And dont let college scare you. Its not designed for you to fail, it is what you make of it. If you love learning, you will love college. Good luck dude, I really hope it all works out for you.
 
Your Answer:
I felt the same way you did 10 years ago. I was just out of high school and didn't want to go to college because it felt so intimidating. I decided to put it off for a few years until I felt ready for it, then eventually started college with a few years of maturity and an improved work ethic under my belt and I am now doing much better than I would have if I enrolled right after high school.

Looking back at how I felt and what I know now, you are really creating far too much pressure for yourself about college. There is no reason to feel terrified about class presentations. There is also no reason to stress yourself out about what to major in, since you can take your two years of Gen Ed classes before figuring out what you would be happy doing for the rest of your life. During that time, you will likely take a certain class or classes that inspire you to decide on a certain major (like what happened with me and my first accounting class)

So I have two pieces of advice, choose whichever suits you most:
1. Don't go to college yet. If you truly do not feel ready for college, do what I did and take some time to mature and figure things out before enrolling. If you go when you are not ready, you will just work up a lot of debt and drop out, essentially wasting time and money.
or
2. Enroll and relax. Stop stressing yourself out and just it one semester at a time. Once you see that you are putting way too much unnecessary pressure on yourself, hopefully you will be able to take it easy and have fun.
 
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