When I went to the 4 year university it was by far NOT the easiest years of my life. Those 4 years were rough. Constantly being poor, not being sure if you are even going to have health insurance the next month (both bc of politics when I was going to college around 2014 and also my stepmom wanting to kick me off her plan), etc. Some of the courses at a 4 year university are super difficult. Especially if it is not in your interest area. For example I went and got a BSW and later entered the social work field. I loved being a social worker but I almost did not graduate because I had to take a statistics course. My mind literally CANNOT comprehend math above certain levels. Statistics and my brain do not work and that is why I never would major in math. I literally almost did not graduate even after having to pour in 3X as much work as the average student in the classroom. I begged the professor to raise my grade to a “C” so I could pass and they said because I showed up every single day and worked hard I’ld get a “C”.
Living in the dorms was a pain. My first 2 years I had to have a roommate even though I was willing to pay 2X as much to get both bed spaces to myself. Year 1 roommate was awful. A slob and snored super loud. Year 2 roommate was a religious fanatic and I did not even like being in the room. I finally got a single room the last 2 years and it was actually more like 2.5X the rate for a regular 1 rate because they know if you really want a single room you’ll pay more than double.
I have worked as a social worker in prisons (multiple ones at different security levels) and also as many other things like therapist. My BEST days of my life have always been after leaving college. Give me my worst days of my life and they were all in my college years with having to study like mad before midterms or finals.
So no – your college years are not your best or easiest days of your life. Getting into a good paying job when you are still under the age of 40 with good job security and a good boss ARE the best days of your life. Going on multiple vacations when you have lots of money in the bank as a fully grown adult ARE the best days of your life. Being retired at age 65 and not having to ever work again and just sipping on coffee and walking in the park whenever you want ARE the best days of your life.
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I could add a lot that is unique to me and my college years, but OP speaks my mind in many ways.
I thankfully never heard anyone say that college years were the easiest in my life because that would’ve been a total lie. I actually found college to be some of the most difficult years of my life. I’m 29 years old now and much happier now than I was from 18-21 years old (college years).
You’re thrown into a brand new environment, away from your parents for the first time ever, have little to no savings to your own name so can’t spend much money, in some of the most demanding and difficult classes you will ever take in your entire life, oh and you have to figure out wtf you want to do with the rest of your career until your 60s, do extracurricular to bolster your resume, AND look for an internship that hopefully leads to full time job opportunities after college.
Then somehow you’re expected to find time to try to date and figure out who YOU are not just professionally but personally too. I came out in my junior year of college at 20 years old in the midst of all of the other stressors.
You are asked to figure out your life path in a short amount of time. The notion it’s easy is not only BS but it’s the total opposite. I was extremely relieved when I was done with college.
TBH I think all of the above is a big reason so many college students struggle with mental health a LOT during this time of their lives and it should be taken way more seriously. My mental health was a mess back then.
This was my experience too. I feel like college is only the best years of your life if you had financial support from your parents, had a more “chill” major, had an understanding of what college would be like, and have a non fun adult life (like poor social network, no hobbies, etc).
I’m so much happier post grad than I was during undergrad! I worked almost full time during undergrad, didn’t get financial help from parents (which meant I never did things like go on spring break or join nonacademic clubs), pre-med so I was studying from the jump, etc. now I have so many hobbies, I’m not burnt out so I have enough energy to read or meet up with friends spontaneously. I love clocking out of work and I don’t think of it until tomorrow (unlike when I would come home from a long day of school, then go to work, then come home from work and study). I have every night off along with every weekend. I’m free on holidays. I have enough money to do stuff! I’m genuinely so much happier outside of college.
Working is much harder than college. Any good paying job is stressful and more difficult that taking any college class in my opinion. You also have to do it every day for 8-10 hours, not just one semester. Add in kids, taking care of parents or family members and so forth, and I’ve found the middle years to be much more challenging.
I played a D1 sport and had a challenging major at a respected school. The whole thing was a cakewalk compared to my everyday commitments in my mid 40’s.
People who say college was easy or the best years of their life had parents who paid for everything. They had no worries about making tuition payments, being in debt or being able to afford groceries. They didn’t have to work jobs while being a full time student.
Mine certainly weren’t easy. Everything turned out ok, but that transition to adulthood and the various pressures that come with it definitely brought on my first big bout of mental health issues (sort of a break, I guess?) and it’s when my anxiety and depression began.
I feel this really depends on your major. I’m engineering. I cannot wait to be done.
Agreed. Those were easily the most difficult time of my life on just about every metric possible.
Until I got a family and a house. Then THAT was the most difficult time of my life on nearly every metric.
Only now. On my feet, with some good breathing room and a better outlook on life am I living the best years of my life.
That’s your lived experience. I’m a social worker too. My life 10 years after finishing my bachelor’s is miserable. My early 20s were the best years of my life, and it keeps me up at night thinking about how good I had it and how endless the possibilities were, and how that’s all over now.
It’s almost like we shouldn’t make sweeping generalizations in either direction.
To add context, I had tuition covered by scholarships, and my parents helped with rent, but I worked and had to self-fund my groceries, utilities, and all my spending money. I was broke but lived cheaply and still had plenty to do. Now I make a steady salary and am barely getting by month-to-month. Each month is zero-sum, and I’m always at risk of not having enough left to feed myself before the next paycheck comes by the end of the month. Being poor as a college student was way better than being poor as a working adult.
Thisss. So many ways I relate.… first generation students at least get assistance financially to make ends meet but it’s so draining of your mental state. And yeah, haven’t gone through a lot of medical problems since starting my four years (officially diagnosed with adult ADHD and anxiety disorder, and endometriosis stage two) while coming from transferring with credits to Get, a language arts degree but switched to a science degree needing to basically start over in all freshman courses as a transfer… it’s definitely not been easy. I’ll tell you that. Much…
I agree. I nearly ended my life junior year of college. Now that I’m out? I’m thriving.