Mine is a mixed bag. Since I spent 6 years in the Marines first. It was free so I have no problem with spending the money for college since it was free. The only kind of bad part was I was always the older guy and kind of felt like nobody was on my level of thinking since I did so much in life already. I felt like everyone was a bunch of idiots that didn't understand the real world. That was hard to get over. Still had a lot of fun. I also have not used my degree for anything at all.
If you could go back...
- Thread starter ClonesFTW
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I wouldn't go back today because I'm 41 and I probably wouldn't fit in in the dorms anymore. I could still hang with the band though probably.
If I could go back to being 18 again, I would still go, I would just figure out what I really wanted to do a lot sooner and waste less time trying to work on the weekends and going home to see a girlfriend that didn't pan out.
Once I got past that stage I had a blast in college. Probably could/should have studied more, but it worked out.
To do what I am doing now requires that I have a degree. I might have tried for a different degree if I started over though.
If I could go back to being 18 again, I would still go, I would just figure out what I really wanted to do a lot sooner and waste less time trying to work on the weekends and going home to see a girlfriend that didn't pan out.
Once I got past that stage I had a blast in college. Probably could/should have studied more, but it worked out.
To do what I am doing now requires that I have a degree. I might have tried for a different degree if I started over though.
Wait, are we the same person?
I spent way too long trying to get through Computer Engineering before switching to MIS and finishing it off in about a year and a half.
Yes I need my degree and would do it again. I met my wife at ISU and don't think I would have otherwise.
But I'm glad to be done. I have more money now, nicer cars, better food, etc. And maybe more free time. I agree that it would be a fun time machine vacation. Go back to VEISHEA weekend, before the riots ruined it all
But I'm glad to be done. I have more money now, nicer cars, better food, etc. And maybe more free time. I agree that it would be a fun time machine vacation. Go back to VEISHEA weekend, before the riots ruined it all
I had a ton of fun in college -- didn't pay much, too, with scholarships, living at home, and Iowa State being dirt cheap. So I feel less bad about 5.5 years in nerd Las Vegas given I paid so little.
I learned a ton, too, but none of it whatsoever relevant to my career. I was never into the beer/party/sex attractions, but rather I was that strange nerd that actually enjoyed the intellectual content of the courses. Not trying to assert my superiority over anybody who liked that stuff -- just my own relative weirdness for enjoying taking a class on Shakespeare and staying up late in the library reading the materials for graduate seminars, rather than being out partying.
However you all enjoyed it, I am glad you did.
The thing is, my degree (and specifically my graduate one) got me noticed in applying for a decent job. Five years of that, and I parlayed it into an excellent job. None of my day-to-day work has much to do with what I learned in class or on campus, but it "put up the flag" to employers I was bright, conscientious, and relatively compliant and respectful of authority, which was all it took to start me on the ladder and get me going to where I am now. That education had a great deal to do with winning the approval of my then girlfriend and now wife's family, which was an added bonus given I quite fancy Dr. Sigma.
College is a lot more those two factors (of labor market signals, a fun consumption item when you're late in your teens and early in your 20s trying to avoid adult responsibilities, and a place to find a spouse or at least signify that you are in the educated category of worthy potential spouses later on) than we like to admit.
But it worked out fine for me.
I learned a ton, too, but none of it whatsoever relevant to my career. I was never into the beer/party/sex attractions, but rather I was that strange nerd that actually enjoyed the intellectual content of the courses. Not trying to assert my superiority over anybody who liked that stuff -- just my own relative weirdness for enjoying taking a class on Shakespeare and staying up late in the library reading the materials for graduate seminars, rather than being out partying.
However you all enjoyed it, I am glad you did.
The thing is, my degree (and specifically my graduate one) got me noticed in applying for a decent job. Five years of that, and I parlayed it into an excellent job. None of my day-to-day work has much to do with what I learned in class or on campus, but it "put up the flag" to employers I was bright, conscientious, and relatively compliant and respectful of authority, which was all it took to start me on the ladder and get me going to where I am now. That education had a great deal to do with winning the approval of my then girlfriend and now wife's family, which was an added bonus given I quite fancy Dr. Sigma.
College is a lot more those two factors (of labor market signals, a fun consumption item when you're late in your teens and early in your 20s trying to avoid adult responsibilities, and a place to find a spouse or at least signify that you are in the educated category of worthy potential spouses later on) than we like to admit.
But it worked out fine for me.
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Would I go back and do college again? Hell yeah. That was a very fun time in my life. If I could do it all over again, I'd probably knock out of year of community college first then transfer to save some money. But I don't regret my decision I made to attend ISU all four years. I could have gotten better grades, but the experience was something to take into account too. It was a balance and I think I ended up just fine. Loyal forever true.
I absolutely needed to go to get my degree for what I do and still use it to this day.
I absolutely needed to go to get my degree for what I do and still use it to this day.