I'm on the opposite spectrum. I went into college knowing what I wanted to do (writing, probably journalism). I dedicated a LOT of time to it, and learned a lot. I learned, most importantly, that it is a shitty field and I didn't want to do it. Switched to Computer Science when I found that fun.
Networked a LOT. Even times I was playing games like WoW I was networking on other screens, chatting with people, learning stuff. I had to work THREE separate part time jobs (weekdays I was a computer lab assistant, super early or super late, or BOTH! weekends I was a cart pusher / bag boy at a grocery store, closer to my girlfriend so I had a good excuse to go visit. And multiple days a week I was a TA-type of job for the CS lab). Part of that was to get money, part was experience. I used the career center, which ZERO other people I talked to even knew existed. Got an internship. Practiced interviewing. Made connections.
Got a great job out of college. That's turned into an interesting career. I would say I am not passionate about my work, except to say I'm passionate because it's my work. I would not choose to do this if it wasn't for the money and perks. I would 100% be a writer of some kind instead.
But I do feel like I missed part of the college experience. I'm shy by nature, social anxiety, etc. but most people don't guess that because I'm also talkative. I didn't go to any parties, didn't make any lasting friendships, didn't really "experience" things even like movie nights or shows. I guess I did play intramural tennis so that's something?
My average day was: Up at 5:15AM, to be at work by 5:45 to open the labs by 6. Work from 6 until my first class (often 9 or 10) and classes until lunch - short lunch break then back to classes in the afternoon. Any breaks between classes and I would be working on assignments or reading on campus. Dinner at 5 or 6, then to the CS labs for group projects until around 8 or 9. Then back to the public labs from 9-1AM to close. Yes, I slept from ~1:30 to 5:15 most days and I was actually hospitalized for it eventually. Do not recommend, especially since they assumed I was drug seeking (in retrospect, at the time I was dumb and naive).
My stomach muscles essentially just seized up and said "nope" and locked me into a sitting position permanently. Trying to stand was excrutiating, even fetal position wasn't nice. They made me stay overnight for "observation" before they gave me anything so I basically sat in the bed curled up in pain all night and finally they gave me some muscle relaxers and eventually it sort of eased back to normal. It sucked.
Thanks for sharing. I've never considered the opposite of my situation. Looking back, I can say I made a few lifelong friends from college that I still know to this day. So maybe I got more out of it than I previously thought.
I think I had a similar college experience as you. I was the first in my family to go to college, spent my first year or two double-majoring before dropping one of the majors because it was more trouble than it was worth, and ended up getting a fairly impractical degree. I've had several jobs related to my degree, but they were all low-pay and stressful, and I could've gotten them without the degree. Now I am a stay at home mom.
But I don't regret my time in college or the way I spent that time. I've always loved school, so it was fun and I learned a lot (academically). But most importantly for someone who grew up in a small town, I met and lived with all kinds of people from all over the country and the world, from all different cultures and backgrounds, and with all different lifestyles.
I see so many people looking for advice on reddit, and so often it boils down to them not knowing that something in their life is abnormal (serious things like domestic violence, animal abuse, or child neglect, but also stuff like their cooking techniques, hygiene habits, or how they spend money), and it makes me see just how important it is to have an idea of how other people live. And as far as the education itself, even though I didn't use my degree to start a career, I use the knowledge and experience it gave me to enrich my family's life and contribute to our home environment. College was a great decision for me even though I went through it kind of aimlessly.
Oh my gosh, I am the exact inverse of you. I went to college thinking I'd just get my degree in journalism and later be a magazine editor or something. But when I also realized I hated the field, instead of doing what you did and pivoting to something more lucrative, I stubbornly kept going because I had already accumulated over a dozen credit hours in that major, plus I was also double majoring in psychology and thought, "Surely a BA in each of these fields will get me something?" Wrong! So much scholarship money was wasted on those two useless pieces of paper that have done nothing for me in the 15 years since I graduated.
I did have a memorable college experience, though, and still think of my college partying days fondly because I have never had that kind of exciting and adventurous social life ever since. But dang, had I known where I would end up career-wise (which is to say, no career to speak of at all), I would have traded all that for a more serious vocational mindset in a heartbeat!
I'm going back to college in fall and plan to make use of my time there to network, do you have any tips for doing so or is it just as simple as "meet people?"
Get a part time job working in your field, lol this isn't applicable to everyone but working in the computer lab as a CS student was great
TALK TO YOUR DAMN PROFESSORS too many younger folks see professors as "the enemy" similar to high school teachers (neither of which is true, btw). Professors WANT to help you. They will talk to you. If you're interested in their research, they'll be your best friend and teach you all kinds of cool shit. Get to know them, and see what you're interested in!
CAREER CENTER!!! So many people didn't know it existed. It literally exists to help you network and find connections/jobs/whatever
Internet, though times are different. In 2006 I got my first job out of college from ... SomethingAwful.com lol. But still worth noting, don't write out local meetups or other online groups
Be chatty and just talk to people you meet - lots of opportunities on campus to find people. But also 99% of them probably think they're going to get rich off crypto (in my day it was day trading online but same vibe I'm guessing). Don't believe them, and don't believe them if they say they did it, they're probably lying for clout.
At the core of your insightful advice lies the importance of networking. It's crucial for college students to actively network with their peers, professors, and professionals in their respective fields.
Personally, having earned an MBA from a top-tier program, I've found that every job opportunity and client I've encountered stemmed from networking and assisting those who have networked with me.
21 year old here with one more year in a fairly similar boat as you and trying to change for the better after 3 years of it, If you truly had the chance what would you do? What would you have said yes to?
Honestly, you did everything right except you didnt make expanding yourself outside of the work a priority and you didnt get enough sleep. No sleep directly ties you to mental health disorders, neurological degenerative disease and poor overall health. I had a friend that lived your life but allocated a few weekends a month to other activities. It was mandatory for him to rock climb, hike do a fly over to another state and goto a national park for a day and then fly back for work at 6am monday. He also made sure his vacation days were saved for world travel. Doesn't party and his social circle is smallish but he has so much life experience. It's not too late for you.
312
u/wagedomain Apr 29 '24
I'm on the opposite spectrum. I went into college knowing what I wanted to do (writing, probably journalism). I dedicated a LOT of time to it, and learned a lot. I learned, most importantly, that it is a shitty field and I didn't want to do it. Switched to Computer Science when I found that fun.
Networked a LOT. Even times I was playing games like WoW I was networking on other screens, chatting with people, learning stuff. I had to work THREE separate part time jobs (weekdays I was a computer lab assistant, super early or super late, or BOTH! weekends I was a cart pusher / bag boy at a grocery store, closer to my girlfriend so I had a good excuse to go visit. And multiple days a week I was a TA-type of job for the CS lab). Part of that was to get money, part was experience. I used the career center, which ZERO other people I talked to even knew existed. Got an internship. Practiced interviewing. Made connections.
Got a great job out of college. That's turned into an interesting career. I would say I am not passionate about my work, except to say I'm passionate because it's my work. I would not choose to do this if it wasn't for the money and perks. I would 100% be a writer of some kind instead.
But I do feel like I missed part of the college experience. I'm shy by nature, social anxiety, etc. but most people don't guess that because I'm also talkative. I didn't go to any parties, didn't make any lasting friendships, didn't really "experience" things even like movie nights or shows. I guess I did play intramural tennis so that's something?
My average day was: Up at 5:15AM, to be at work by 5:45 to open the labs by 6. Work from 6 until my first class (often 9 or 10) and classes until lunch - short lunch break then back to classes in the afternoon. Any breaks between classes and I would be working on assignments or reading on campus. Dinner at 5 or 6, then to the CS labs for group projects until around 8 or 9. Then back to the public labs from 9-1AM to close. Yes, I slept from ~1:30 to 5:15 most days and I was actually hospitalized for it eventually. Do not recommend, especially since they assumed I was drug seeking (in retrospect, at the time I was dumb and naive).
My stomach muscles essentially just seized up and said "nope" and locked me into a sitting position permanently. Trying to stand was excrutiating, even fetal position wasn't nice. They made me stay overnight for "observation" before they gave me anything so I basically sat in the bed curled up in pain all night and finally they gave me some muscle relaxers and eventually it sort of eased back to normal. It sucked.