Pros and cons of college

[Mr.Pokemon]

College...as I'm in my sophmore year of college, I just found out I have a D in Math 129, which is dumb on my part and the schools part, because I shouldn't have to take nine hours of math to be in the history field!

So, I thought of the pros and cons of college:

Pros:

-FREEDOM!
-Will eventually get paid more money!
-Have more of a choice of what you would like to take
-Are able to sell your books back to the bookstore
-Classes only meet an hour or so twice or three times a week.
-PARTIES!

Cons

-Going into debt and never getting out
-Classes with 200+ people
-Buying books from the book store
-Having to get tutoring for three of my five classes
-Being required to take classes you will never need, almost like high school
- People with bizarre characteristics in the dorm...like the guy next.
-Dealing with the Finicial Aid office, freshmen orientation, and student advisors who are NO help at all.

[mr_pikachu]

Pros:
Challenging courses
Reading unusual (and occasionally personally directed) bathroom graffiti
Living away from home

Cons:
Challenging courses
Reading unusual (and occasionally personally directed) bathroom graffiti
Living away from home


Yup.

[Little_Pikachu]

For me it's always been a case of

Pros:
Extending my education and qualifications

Cons:
Another X years of educational stuff after I've left compulsary school

freedom, parties, financial hardship, I'd be having all that regardless of my student status. The only real advantage of me still being in education is that my parents still provide me with somewhere to live, which I don't think they intend to do once I have a 'real' job.

[Adz44]

Pros:

- Meet some people that have similar interests
- Learn more about your chosen subject to gain better further education or employment prospects
- It's miles better than being at home doing crap all throughout the year
- Lengthy breaks
- The tutors treating you like adults instead of like children (and have a laugh with them)
- Play an FPS over the network occasionally

Cons:

- Some aspects of your chosen course may be extremely dry (*cough*networkingandbusiness*cough*)
- Not being 100% free to do want you want during the week
- Having to get up early in the morning
- The lengthy breaks can really drag when there's nothing to do
- Stress due to workload

That pretty much sums up my experience with college.

[Jeff]

Pros:
-girls
-classes with crazy professors who throw stuff across the room and crack jokes throughout the class (I love my physics class )
-making new friends
-girls

Cons:
-commuting from an hour away
-spending all my time that I'm not at work doing projects
-classes I will never use -- how is having 2 phys ed classes going to help a comp sci major?

[Crystal Mew]

Even though I'm not in college YET...(just graduated) I still know the pros and cons!

pros:
- meeting new people
- getting a better education
- on the way to get a good career and a high paying job
- having more freedom
- parties
-only have to go to class a couple times a week


cons:
-having to cummute about an hour a day :[
- taking challenging classes



btw mr pokemon, do you go to a college in new mexico?

[Mr.Pokemon]

btw mr pokemon, do you go to a college in new mexico?

Yes, I go to UNM. It's a nice school, probably the best out of a group of mediocre colleges that are in the state. I stayed in-state because you can get the lottery scholarship, which in a way with caches, is going to college for free almost.

[Master of Paradox]

PROS:
- Finally free from the stifling home environment
- Structured lifestyle prevents mind-shattering boredom
- New people means your reputation won't follow you
- The remote's all yours
- New area to make your mark on

CONS:
- Loneliness
- All the responsibility is now on your shoulders
- Teachers are *******s
- Nobody you know = no friends to start with
- Grade pressure

[Magmar]

Pros: Having a 3.0 GPA!

Cons: Having a 3.0 GPA -_-

[Crystal Mew]

Yes, I go to UNM. It's a nice school, probably the best out of a group of mediocre colleges that are in the state. I stayed in-state because you can get the lottery scholarship, which in a way with caches, is going to college for free almost.

ah thats cool. I knew you lived in new mexico, so I was just wondering. I'm planning on going to unm next year actually. I was going to go this year, but things didnt work out. so thats cool. haha. and yeah, there are a few scholarships I qualify for.....and I might get the lottery one too. who knows? haha.

[mr_pikachu]

Lottery scholarship? Pardon a stupid question from an out-of-state resident, but what exactly is that? I mean, how do you get it, and how much is it worth?

[Mr.Pokemon]

Lottery scholarship? Pardon a stupid question from an out-of-state resident, but what exactly is that? I mean, how do you get it, and how much is it worth?

Check these links out: http://www.nmlottery.com/News/Beneficiary/BeneFAQ.htm and http://www.unm.edu/~schol/freshmen/lotto.html It's been easy to get, and it's offered to ALL NM students, because of the state's horrible drop-out rates and because most people do not got to college in NM because it's unaffordable...those who can afford it, usually leave the state. I was able to afford it partly because of all those months wasted being a slave at a grocery store.

Also, UNM provides a thing called the Bridge Scholarship for incoming freshmen with a certain GPA from high schoo(probably a 2.5 or above), which just about covers most of the turition, which is around $1800 for in-state students. Last year, every freshman I met(including me) recevied this scholarship

[mr_pikachu]

Whoa! A full ride for eight semesters, just for graduating from a New Mexico high school and getting a 2.5 GPA in the first semester? Jeez! UNM really must be desperate! That's one heck of a deal...

[Crystal Mew]

wow thanks mr pokemon, I'll have to apply to these then! =)

I had a friend get the lottery scholarship, and I'm sure I probably can get it too.

[Mr.Pokemon]

Do you live in NM as well Crystal Mew?

[Crystal Mew]

as a matter of fact, yes I do

[dratinihaunter13]

my friend katrina went to unm, but now she's at u of a with me =P wildcats baby

pros:

cheering for college sports teams
freedom to do whatever you want
parties/girls
intramural sports

cons:

studying/classes, and that's pretty much it. college would kick ass if it wasn't for all the classes =(

[Razola]

Academic Probation is where it's at!

[.hacker]

Pro:

Knowing that you'll be getting a larger salary in the future.
Taking courses that you enjoy for once.
Professors are much more interesting to listen to that High School teachers.
Having your schedule change every semester.
Almost no daily homework.
Won't get penalized (usually) for not attending class.

Con:
Hurts the pocket book all the time.
Taking courses that have nothing to do with your major.
Reading, reading, and more reading...
Taking an exam that can be worth 25-50% of your entire grade... >_>
Having to do spend holidays catching up on assignments.
Having to maintain a 3.0 GPA for a scholarship.

[RedStarWarrior]

One of my cons is the diminished or lack of an online life. Real life sucks....

[nightcrow]

Lottery scholarship? Pardon a stupid question from an out-of-state resident, but what exactly is that? I mean, how do you get it, and how much is it worth?

florida has a lottery scholarship too, called "bright futures". it's open to everyone, and it's definitely not hard to get. I think you need to have 1100 on the SAT and a 3.0 gpa to get 75% tuition, which I qualify for already. To get 100% tuition, you have to do 75 hours of community service, which is not bad at all for what you get in return.

It's amazing really, considering how easy it is to get. I can actually go to a good school because of it!

anyway pros:
- not getting up at 5/5:30am (hopefully)
- not having intense classes every single day
- more time to work/free time

cons:
- $$$.
- being by yourself...

[Moltrecuno]

I've been in college for almost a year! Go me!! XD

Pros:
- Meeting New People
- Being Far Far Away From Family
- Studying the Major I Want (Game Art and Design)
- Living on My Own
- Classes are Challenging
- Getting a 4.0 GPA
- Going to School 2-3 Days a Week and Still Get My Degree in a Course of 3 Years ^_^

Cons:
- Financial Aid Office saying, "Sorry but we can't give you extra money to pay for your rent this month." >_<
- Having to Pay Rent From Your Pocket(I live under a Collegiate Housing program and their rent is f'ing high. My loans are supposed to cover it but every other month the Financial Aid Office has issues...)
- Less Free Time Due to Work and School
- Breaks Between Terms are too Short (Lasts 5 days or less... No summer break.)
- Having to go to school year-round
- Having to go to Start School at 7:30am

[Chieng Vui Leng]

an interesting topic.

the context is in melbourne.

pros (in no particular order):
- education system less stressful
- not having to get up at 4:30am
- less intense classes
- more free time
- make many new friends from around the world
- learn new things, wider subject options
- nice lecturers, interesting lectures
- almost no homework
- can evade fare on trams easily
- live away from home, no parents to breathe down my neck
- can pick up smoking without parents finding out
- my roommate is very nice
- good food
- friendly culture (compared to Singapore or Malaysia)

cons (in no particular order):
- spendthrift
- breaks between terms too short
- attendance closely monitored
- having to adjust to life here
- having to adjust to the time zone and DST changes
- philosophy of disciplines is a core subject
- written assignments always left till the last minute
- living all alone
- the dollars spent on ciggies
- expensive food
- dragged by a friend to a Bible Presbyterian Church

Generally I would say life in Australia is great. People are nice, lecturers are good, subjects are interesting (compared to those at high school). The pocket book gets hurt often, but I always just make it till the end of the month, before my parents send the next instalment over. And I always have my roommate to confide in. I miss my family though.