Are college years "the best years of your life"?

karaokeman

Considering the fact that most people get married with children after and were in school before, I bet the majority of people here can say yes.

willow tree

no, .. my 20s were interesting times but id a lot of growing up to do, so unsure of myself, also didnt study something i loved until later on as i didnt know what i wanted (well i did but i didnt follow my instincts)... love the 30s, you are still young enough but old enough to be more sure of yourself (well in my case anyways)... also best thing in my life was having baby, waaaaay more than college...
i guess ive always been independant so i like making my own money and not being a poor student

shanered

I have already done an ordinary degree when aged 17-20 now back starting my second year of another degree, sorry to disagree,but to date i'd say my best years where in secondary school. Way less hassle and you got to see all your mates everyday!
It really depends on what your studying, as some courses are difficult and require alot of input and that can be draining more so then aload of freedom.
Financial situtaion is important too, depending on whether you have mammy and daddy bankrolling the whole experiance, it can be a strain or a holiday.
I suppose maybe even your living arrangments matter, it would be more exciting if you where moving to another city and moving out of your house for the first time or something, but if stuck at home with parents and extremely broke taking on a really difficult course it can be tedious.
All I can say, is that I hope my best days are to come once i am finished college!

The_Kew_Tour

its good, but my best years was travelling the world having money to spend and having a job I enjoy.

Tefral

Have to say in all my life experiences so far, the college years were the best for me. Great group of friends and we got up to everything, plus I had more disposable cash back then than I do now working. I genuinely didnt have a care in the world. 4th year was tough with the dissertation and all that but I managed it in the end.

Eric Cartman

no , if you have a job , the 2-3 years you have after college are, you still have mates in college to go out with 5-6 nights a week, only now you have money from your job to get pissed every night , its the best of both worlds

Wolfe Tone

So far college is kicking ass!

Kya1976

I loved some parts of being in college, I'm not missing the exams and essays though.

wild_cat

Not really.

I had craic with my friends from secondary school that were all in different colleges and with a few people from a course I did previously.


But the people in my class atm.. sweet jesus... I have never come across a bigger bunch of arse holes.

Eric Cartman

wild_cat wrote: »

But the people in my class atm.. sweet jesus... I have never come across a bigger bunch of arse holes.

trinity isnt for everybody

My Erasmus year was the best year of my life. The rest of college was meh. Hated most of the people on my course (snobby, pretentious w@nkers) and was always broke so I could never go out. I went from September to January once without having an alcoholic drink because I couldn't afford it. Social life wise, I've had a much better time since leaving. I do miss studying, walking around the campus and the opportunities college provides.

wild_cat

Eric Cartman wrote: »

trinity isnt for everybody

I wish it was Trinity......

qz

College was great fun, but it flew by. I'm holding out for better years to be honest.

The Scientician

I really enjoyed college but I've enjoyed my life outside of it more, there have been downsides though, as time passes people die and often it feels you're not as close as you once were to your friends. But I'm better off now financially, more assured of myself personally, and have a great time going out and meeting new people all the time.

TheBody

College was am amazing time for me. I'd gladly do it all again. My only regret is that I didn't study more.

craggles

If your college years (or any years) were your best then you've probably let yourself become a dry sh1te since then. The only person to blame for not enjoying your life is yourself, for failing to do anything about it.

Naikon

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

So far college is kicking ass!

Just wait until you hit second year:pac:

Jess16

I don't know yet, I'm still living my life

emeraldstar

No. They were grand like, but having money and guilt-free evenings and weekends is sooo much better.

Sky King

I am enjoying the merits of every age as it comes along. 28 now.

Not looking forward to being tricked into having fkin kids and the middle age spread though, but hopefully by then I'll be rich enough to buy the happiness that left me in my carefree 20's.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I didnt go to college. I went straight into the army after my LC. Most of my friends went to college and had a great time.

When they were ditching lectures, getting pissed and inserting their meat stick into many sexy ladies. I was either in a cold manky river, up some ****ty manky mountain, in a flooded freezing cold trench, carrying about 15 stone on my back for miles, getting screamed at for a miniscule bit of fluff on my beret, learning the ins and outs of various weapons and tactics. But I loved it at the time.

I first served overseas when I was 19, I should have been balls deep in some ladies warm love pocket. Im 30 now and Im starting to feel like I missed out on something. Something only college can provide.

pragmatic1

Best craic I've ever had. Was living with mates the whole time so loads of parties and days on the beer.

seanbmc

Good craic so far

nicechick!

karaokeman wrote: »

Considering the fact that most people get married with children after and were in school before, I bet the majority of people here can say yes.

life is a journey the good/bad and the great who knows what your future holds

moonlighting

spent my college years working in building sites. man it sucked but at lest i made good money. 24 now and going back to college in September. i have to say i have a lot more common sense now. ill be in the library studying not drinkin beer and getting waisted.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

I like college. I absolutely detested secondary school.

GerM

Arguably. It's a complete change of life to have such freedom. Your social life expands hugely and most people who are now 25-35 had a source of income throughout college which allowed them to take full advantage of the college experience going abroad on great summers to the US or Asia. There's a lot to be said for those few years after college also though when you have more income and can travel and experience more things. I'd personally say travelling abroad is the best time in the lives of most for those that do it regardless of what age they are.

I would worry when people say school was the best days of their life. Seán Hughes used have a line about it that was along the lines of "People used tell me when I was 16 that they were the best days of my life and I used to think 'What the f*ck is going to happen when I finish school? My entire body break out in sores for the rest of my life?'" If someone thinks that school was genuinely the best days of their life I would think that they've really missed out.

effluent

I would have to say I've had much better craic at home/outside of college. I had a great time in college and it was a great experience, but I was doing a very demanding course so I didn't have much time for going out compared to other people(those doing easy courses)

Call Me Lia

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

I like college. I absolutely detested secondary school.

It's nice to know that there's hope for me yet

Call Me Lia

effluent wrote: »

I would have to say I've had much better craic at home/outside of college. I had a great time in college and it was a great experience, but I was doing a very demanding course so I didn't have much time for going out compared to other people(those doing easy courses)

Hope you don't mind me asking but what course were you doing? Which courses would you consider demanding?

acbs

i suppose it depends on everybodys different experiences but for me the answer is, 'Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!!!!'
I cried my eyes out when i had to leave! i never had so much fun/craic in my life (even in lectures and exam halls!.. sometimes... )

PK2008

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

So far college is kicking ass!

You go to college!!!!!??????!!!!!!!!!!


Sorry, no offence like

effluent

Call Me Lia wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me asking but what course were you doing? Which courses would you consider demanding?

Well I had friends in different courses in college and generally found that people in bussiness and arts related courses had a lot more free time, or could afford to miss some lectures. I would consider Science and Engineering related courses very demanding.

Mine was science related so you had to be there to have a goood understanding, or you had to attend lab schedules. I studied Environmental Science, which sounds easy but you have to have a good understanding of a wide range of subjects/topics.

Freefaller

Overall no, never was more relieved then when college finished. There were pages and pages of jobs in the evening herald when I finished school and went to college. Now you're lucky to find 10. Never saw the celtic tiger and as far as I can see there doesn't seem yet to be much advantage in having went at all.

LenaClaire

I had a lot of fun in college and those were great years but I think I am generally happier with life, and myself now.

I would not want to go back to being the person I was then, but I would love to have a chance to hang out with my friends with no real responsibilities

--LOS--

no, most of college was pretty sh!tt, not a lot to do with college though, just a bad time. It started out pretty good, hope it ends like that!

Dman001

Midway through college, it's hard to see how it can get better to be honest. Getting up at midday, strolling into college whenever you feel like it, and the whole general relaxed vibe going with little worries is hard to beat. The thoughts of graduating, and actually having to get up at 8 o'clock every morning for work doesn't sound appealing. That said, if it's a job you love I'm sure it isn't any bother.

Call Me Lia

effluent wrote: »

Call Me Lia wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me asking but what course were you doing? Which courses would you consider demanding?

Well I had friends in different courses in college and generally found that people in bussiness and arts related courses had a lot more free time, or could afford to miss some lectures. I would consider Science and Engineering related courses very demanding.

Mine was science related so you had to be there to have a goood understanding, or you had to attend lab schedules. I studied Environmental Science, which sounds easy but you have to have a good understanding of a wide range of subjects/topics.

Ok thanks for the tips

rossie1977

i hated secondary school so much i quit at 17, years later i decided to go to college, first 3 months took a bit of fitting in as the majority of my class were girls and 5 years my junior but after that it was great

my final year at undergrad we would go out 3 nights a week, house parties after, stay up till 7am on thursday night arrive in for class on friday still a bit drunk and after all that i still managed to get a 1.1 degree

Up there alright but had a couple of particularly good ones after.

Idjit

It would be much, much better if my future was more certain. But with this recession and all the cuts it's proving to be a harder time than what I'd dreamed of when I was younger..and no guarantee of what will happen when I'm finished either.

GerM

effluent wrote: »

Well I had friends in different courses in college and generally found that people in bussiness and arts related courses had a lot more free time, or could afford to miss some lectures. I would consider Science and Engineering related courses very demanding.

Mine was science related so you had to be there to have a goood understanding, or you had to attend lab schedules. I studied Environmental Science, which sounds easy but you have to have a good understanding of a wide range of subjects/topics.

That's definitely just your personal experience. I've studied both Arts and Engineering and the latter were far more into partying and socialising. It was a male dominated course and there was far more boozing and messing. The Arts students tended to drift in and out of college and were less involved in college life and far more likely to drop out. You can't afford to miss many lectures/labs/tutorials in the more technical subjects but it still leaves plenty of time to go out and have a good time several nights a week. At the end of the day, you're still a student.

Call Me Lia

GerM wrote: »

effluent wrote: »

Well I had friends in different courses in college and generally found that people in bussiness and arts related courses had a lot more free time, or could afford to miss some lectures. I would consider Science and Engineering related courses very demanding.

Mine was science related so you had to be there to have a goood understanding, or you had to attend lab schedules. I studied Environmental Science, which sounds easy but you have to have a good understanding of a wide range of subjects/topics.

That's definitely just your personal experience. I've studied both Arts and Engineering and the latter were far more into partying and socialising. It was a male dominated course and there was far more boozing and messing. The Arts students tended to drift in and out of college and were less involved in college life and far more likely to drop out. You can't afford to miss many lectures/labs/tutorials in the more technical subjects but it still leaves plenty of time to go out and have a good time several nights a week. At the end of the day, you're still a student.

Ok thanks for helping me see the two sides of things . Obviously it differs in different colleges and social groups. I'm hoping to study computer science, or economics and finance. But because I can't seem to decide between the 2, most likely maths though (and maybe economics) because it leaves me free to choose afterwards if I want to get into finance or computers. And that's a technical art subject so I don't know where that even stands :P. Though, back to the OP's question: I certainly hope to enjoy college more than I'm enjoying secondary school anyway !

candy-gal1

Yes, definitly yes! loved my college years!
It was like a reward from spending all those years in school :rolleyes:

Naikon

--LOS-- wrote: »

no, most of college was pretty sh!tt, not a lot to do with college though, just a bad time. It started out pretty good, hope it ends like that!

College is a pain in the balls if you study something society considers "hard". Otherwise, it's a potential cakewalk. A 3-4 year extended drinking session. Not my words, but I can see where the idea stems from. I agree. You would not pay me to go back to college. Nothing but passing exams for 4 years imo. Gets old pretty fast.

starlit

ya course the best!

Odysseus

I didn't get to college until I was 27, 3 years doing my degree; then another two doing my masters. Yeah I think they where the best times of my life. I was mature enough to enjoy them. I start another masters in Sept but I be working full time, whereas the first time it was part time. Nearly ten years later I don't think it willl be as enjoyable, but it's another step closer to eventually doing my PhD.

--LOS--

Naikon wrote: »

College is a pain in the balls if you study something society considers "hard". Otherwise, it's a potential cakewalk. A 3-4 year extended drinking session. Not my words, but I can see where the idea stems from. I agree. You would not pay me to go back to college. Nothing but passing exams for 4 years imo. Gets old pretty fast.

Ye I get sick of hearing this student stereotype, my course was hugely demanding, not only 'hard' but so much work and long hours to keep up with, even partaking in a few society things became too much to keep up. You wouldnt want to have too many other demands in your personal life. Someone said to me before if you haven't done a few repeats in college, you haven't been enjoying college enough, I kinda agree, if you're gona have a good social life as well there's just no way you can keep up the two. At the same time I would disagree that doing repeats is a sure sign of someone having too much of a good time.

steddyeddy

Odysseus wrote: »

I didn't get to college until I was 27, 3 years doing my degree; then another two doing my masters. Yeah I think they where the best times of my life. I was mature enough to enjoy them. I start another masters in Sept but I be working full time, whereas the first time it was part time. Nearly ten years later I don't think it willl be as enjoyable, but it's another step closer to eventually doing my PhD.

Good luck man Im a mature student myself so Its nice to read about another mature students experience! By the way why do you think maturity helped you enjoy them more?

jimthemental

Most definitely it's a steep slope after your finished. I recommend emigration as a cure to post college depression.

steddyeddy

--LOS-- wrote: »

Ye I get sick of hearing this student stereotype, my course was hugely demanding, not only 'hard' but so much work and long hours to keep up with, even partaking in a few society things became too much to keep up. You wouldnt want to have too many other demands in your personal life. Someone said to me before if you haven't done a few repeats in college, you haven't been enjoying college enough, I kinda agree, if you're gona have a good social life as well there's just no way you can keep up the two. At the same time I would disagree that doing repeats is a sure sign of someone having too much of a good time.

A student who is is genuinly independent and working on a hard course will havent practically no free time in the later years and will be working extremely hard to balance finances and study.