If you’re thinking of going to college then you might be wondering whether it is as bad as everyone says.
In this post, I will show you a number of reasons that college is not as bad as people say.
So, is college as bad as everyone says? People that had a bad experience in college are more likely to comment on it than people that enjoyed it. Many people would argue that college was actually some of the best years of their lives.
There are actually a number of reasons that college is not as bad as everyone says. However, there are some things to consider before deciding on going to college.
You decide what you learn
One of the main reasons that college is actually more enjoyable is that you get to decide on the classes that you take.
In college, you decide on your major which defines the set of classes that you will need to take in order to graduate. Each major will have some classes that you must take in order to graduate and some classes that you will be able to choose from.
Since you are able to choose your major it means that you will be taking classes that you are more interested in most of the time. This means that you should actually have a more enjoyable experience when you are in college.
Often, you will find that the people that didn’t enjoy college will have chosen a major that wasn’t really for them. This is why it would help for you to take a broad set of classes now to see what you like if you don’t know already.
It will increase your earning ability
Another reason that college is not actually as bad as people say is that it will increase your earning potential.
Over a 40-year working life bachelors degree holders are expected to make 66% more than those without a bachelors degree.
This means that going to college should help to improve your quality of life over the long run. So, even if you don’t enjoy college a lot then it should still be worthwhile for you overall provided it helps you to earn more once you are done.
However, something to consider is that not all college degrees provide the same opportunities. Some degrees, such as those in the STEM field, will tend to put you in a good position upon graduating while others will not. Before deciding on your major it would be worthwhile for you to research what the job prospects are like with that particular major.
Your schedule will be more flexible
Another reason that college is not so bad is that you get to decide on your class schedule.
In college, class time is not as much as it would normally be in high school. Classes will normally be one hour per credit hour and you’ll normally take 15 credit hours per semester so you’ll normally have 15 hours of class time per week. This means that you will be spending less time in class than you would have done it high school.
In college, you also get to decide on the class times that you will have. So, if you want to space your classes out so that you have time for lunch in between you can or you can block them all together and get through them quickly.
However, you can only choose the time based on the times of the classes that are on offer. Sometimes, there will only be one time that a particular class is offered so you will have to take that time regardless.
You can choose your professors
Another reason that college is not actually so bad is that you can choose the professor that you have.
This means that you will be able to avoid the professors that you do not like unlike in high school. This, combined with the fact that you’ll likely be taking classes that interests you, will likely mean that you will have a much more pleasant time when in class.
With that being said, sometimes there will only be one professor teaching a class. If you don’t want to take a class with that particular professor then you’ll either need to take the class at a later semester or you can take an alternative class if it is not required.
Also, you will likely find that the classes taught by the better professors will be filled up quickly. This is why you will want to schedule your classes as soon as enrollment opens so that you can get the classes that you want. You can use the website ratemyprofessors.com to see what other students have said about the professors.
You get more independence
Another reason that college is not as bad as it might seem is that you will get a lot more independence.
In college, you will be the one that decides on your major, your schedule and what you do outside of the classroom. This means that you will have a lot more freedom to do the things that you want to do.
Assuming that you move out as well, then you will also be able to do what you feel like doing in your free time as well. It will also give you a chance to get used to living by your own means before going on into the real world.
The classes should go more smoothly
The classes that you take, in college, will also normally go more smoothly than they would do in high school.
One reason for this is that the professors will normally be experts in their fields. This means that they will usually be able to explain complex concepts more easily and they will be able to spot potential difficulties more easily as well.
Another reason is that the other students will have chosen to be there so they will not be as disruptive as your peers might have been in high school. Since your classmates will have chosen similar majors as you it also means that you will likely have more in common as well.
This does mean that your classes will likely get through the material more quickly. However, you will be expected to study the material outside of class regardless and you will likely be interested in the material so it should be easier for you to motivate yourself to study it.
There is more support
Another reason that college is not as bad as people around you might think is that college has a lot of support that you can make use of.
In college, you’ll often have access to an academic advisor that will help you in ensuring that you are on track to meet your degree requirements. You’ll generally need to meet with academic advisors at least once per semester.
Many colleges will also, usually, offer free tutoring for certain subjects. The tutors will often be either graduate students or students that have taken and done well in the class already. This means that you will be able to get some tailored support on topics that you are struggling with.
There will also, usually, be a financial services department where you will be able to go to ensure that you are meeting scholarship and grant requirements.
You’ll also likely have access to a much larger library, computers for you to use, the college will usually have wifi for students to use and there will be many more forms of support available to you.
There are lots of social events
Another reason that you might not find college to be that bad is that there will normally be lots of social events for you to get involved with.
Colleges will also usually have many different clubs that you can join in areas ranging from languages to dance to finance and many other areas.
You might also find that there will be lots of parties that you will get invited to. Especially in your freshman year with your dormmates.
You decide on the college
One reason that people will say that college was bad is that they went to a college that was not suitable for them.
The culture of a college can vary a lot depending on a number of factors. The size, location, age, type, acceptance rate, cost and size of the student body of a college can all have an impact on its culture.
By choosing a college that aligns with what you enjoy and want you will be much more likely to enjoy your time in college.
It can be challenging
One thing that could either be considered as a good thing or a bad thing is that you will likely find college to be more challenging to what you are used to.
This is because the classes will be at a more advanced level, they will go at a faster pace and there is a higher weighting on the exams.
This does mean that college can be stressful at times especially at the end of the semester when you have multiple deadlines coming up.
However, if you choose a major that you enjoy then it also means that you will be studying something that interests you. This means that the extra study time that will be required shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
It will cost a lot
One reason that college could be considered as being bad is that it will likely cost a lot.
If finances are tight then it can cause you to become more stressed especially when you need to pay off loans upon graduation.
With that being said, there are many colleges that you can choose from so you should be able to find one that is cost-effective for you.
Another thing to consider is that one option that you have would be to go to community college first and then to transfer to a 4-year college after. By doing this you should be able to save some money since community colleges tend to be a lot cheaper. Just make sure that the community college classes transfer into the major that you want to get at the 4-year college.
Another thing to consider is that colleges will often give need-based aid and will charge less to in-state students. They will also often give extra scholarship money to students that get high SAT or GRE scores.
It won’t guarantee a job
Another reason that college might not be so good for you is that it does not guarantee that you will get a job at the end of it. But, it will still be necessary for you to pay off any debt that you incurred. This can cause the years following college to be a very stressful period for some people.
With that being said, as mentioned earlier the degree you get will have a big impact on the job opportunities that you will get upon graduation. This is why it is important to consider the job prospects that a degree has when deciding on one.
People that say that college is bad will often have made some mistakes
You can make your time in college become a lot more enjoyable if you take the time to plan ahead. Many of the people that say that college is bad will have made some mistakes that made their time in college a lot worse than it should have been.
You can make your time in college be much more enjoyable by doing things such as:
- Using ratemyprofessors.com to select the professors that are recommended
- Scheduling your classes early so that you get the professors and times that you want
- Researching the prospects that the different majors provide before deciding on one
- Researching how well a college fits your personality before deciding on a college
- Studying consistently throughout the semester so that you don’t get stressed when exams come and you keep your grades up
- Planning your entire semester out in the first week of classes so that you don’t get caught out with deadlines
- Meeting with your academic advisor regularly and deciding on an optimal class sequence
- Doing internships in the summer to put yourself in a good position upon graduation