Top 10 Brutally Honest Truths About College
College can be fun, but there are a number of things they don't always tell you. This list will highlight some of the honest truths about college that often get left out, with no sugarcoating.
It's written from the perspective of a college student who recently graduated, so I know what college life is like.
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College Isn't for Everyone
In high school, my counselors tried to shove the "you have to go to college" narrative down our throats, but the honest truth is that you do not have to go to college and get a degree to be successful. If you're considering going to college, ask yourself these three questions: What career do I want to pursue? Does that career require a degree? Will that career pay off the potential debt that you will accumulate in college?
If your answer to any of those questions is no, I suggest taking a step back and reevaluating your goals and whether you actually need to go to college. There's a growing number of people who think college is overpriced and a scam, and they have some valid points. You could just as easily learn a trade, find a decent-paying job, and accumulate virtually no debt at all.
Some jobs do require degrees, like doctors, lawyers, accountants, and so on. But there's a reason why more and more of Gen Z are skipping out on college altogether. It's because of high tuition rates, the overwhelming amount of student loan debt, and the fact that a simple degree doesn't automatically land someone a job. A trade and/or a side hustle is often more straightforward to learn since it's more about doing the job at hand and nothing more.
There are definitely pros and cons to both sides of the argument, and it's ultimately up to you to decide if it's worth it or not. There's no right or wrong answer, but it's definitely something worth considering.
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A Degree Alone Won't Guarantee You a Job
This is a tough pill for a lot of people to swallow, but it's absolutely true. Your degree is simply part of your resume at this point.
To clarify, yes, a degree is very useful, and a lot of jobs do require a certain degree, such as anything in the medical field, law, engineering, accounting, etc. However, the brutal reality is your degree generally does not set you apart from anyone else. It's just a piece of paper that does not entitle you to a job on its own.
It's very beneficial to have on your resume, but if you're applying for a job with a degree requirement, you should honestly know and expect that every other applicant also has the same degree. You need more transferable skills and qualifications to stand out from the crowd.
That bachelor's, associate's, or master's degree is just a piece of paper. It matters, but only up to an extent. They care more about you having skills and experiences that relate to either the industry or the role itself. The point is that you need to do more than just graduate with the degree and go through the motions.
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The Academic Coursework Is Very Demanding
If you thought high school academics were hard, you haven't seen anything yet. Most high school classes cover a very surface-level curriculum, whereas college classes go a lot more in depth. Professors will likely say to spend two hours outside of class for every hour in class, and it's not a joke.
Most college course assignments are specifically designed to be challenging and really focus on making sure you understand the concepts. High school is more about just learning facts and then being able to regurgitate the facts you learned in class.
College assignments do give you more time to complete them, but that also makes it easier to procrastinate. Tests are also a whole different animal. High school may have five tests worth about 40% of your grade. College usually has three or fewer tests worth 60% or more, which may or may not include midterms and finals.
College assignments are so daunting they make high school work look like child's play. The readings are typically much longer, and assignments can take over two to three hours to complete. Even if freshman year isn't bad, just wait until junior and senior year. Things get intense. Be prepared. You'll have to grind and work harder than ever before.
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The Typical College Experience Is a Lot More Expensive than You Realize
Everyone knows college is expensive, but tuition costs are only part of it. Tuition doesn't account for textbooks, which are typically $100 or more per book, so that adds up fast. You might be spending $500 on textbooks alone. Tuition also doesn't include room and board, meal plans, parking passes, and so on. Not to mention your typical grocery expenses and other items you may need like toothpaste, toilet paper, and more. You get the idea.
Colleges love to nickel and dime you at every opportunity they can. Scholarships can help ease the financial burden to an extent, but it's still very expensive. There's a reason why a lot of people are forced to resort to student loans, because it's that expensive. It's not wrong to say that college is severely overpriced, and it's also not wrong to question whether college is worth the money.
All of this isn't even mentioning the fact that out-of-state schools usually have much higher tuition costs. Unless you're lucky enough to get a full-ride scholarship, I highly recommend applying for as many scholarships as possible. It's tedious, but your wallet will thank you. Another option is the community college route, which gets you a degree for a fraction of the cost, and then you can go to a big school and further your education.
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Professors Are Not Always the Best Teachers
In high school, most teachers were generally good at teaching the subject to the class. That's not always the case in college. Sure, there are some professors who are great teachers, but others, not so much.
Universities will typically hire professors based on their research and the prestige they bring to the institution. So professors generally have experience in the industry and are very knowledgeable in the field as a whole. However, that doesn't automatically translate to them being good at teaching the subject matter to students. It's kind of the same logic that explains why players don't always make good coaches. Professors and players are generally super knowledgeable about the field of study or sport, but only in one or a few aspects, not the whole field.
In sports, you need a coach who understands the X's and O's, the fundamentals of it all. The same goes for professors. Not all of them understand how to teach the fundamentals and basics of their respective fields. This means it will fall more on you to teach yourself the material sometimes, rather than rely on the professors to teach you.
It sounds backwards, but the professor's job is technically to present the information to you, and it's ultimately your responsibility to process and analyze the material. The thing is, not every professor is a bad teacher. It's usually hit or miss, but within the first few days, you should start to be able to tell the difference.
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Out-of-State Schools Generally Aren't Worth It
I get that out-of-state schools sound enticing at first, but honestly, for the most part, you can get a decent education for a lot cheaper closer to home at your local university.
There are some benefits to going out of state, like getting to explore a whole different city in a different area and experiencing different weather you might not get back home. However, it's important to consider costs before you decide to go out of state. Usually, it's a lot more expensive.
Unless you're going to a prestigious academic institution like Harvard, Yale (any Ivy League university), MIT, Caltech, etc., or on a very good scholarship for sports or another reason, really consider the price. It's absolutely not worth going into huge amounts of debt for.
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Grades Matter but They Aren't Everything
They say C's get degrees, which is technically true, but what's more important is building a network and gaining real-world experience and real-world skills necessary to learn and be successful in the workforce.
Context definitely matters here too. A 4.0 GPA means nothing without relevant experience or internships. Getting easy A's in basket weaving isn't as valuable as a 3.2 GPA with internships and a decent network. Networking is an often-overlooked aspect of college education. It's one of those things where you get out what you put into it.
There's a fine line, though. Definitely don't flunk out of college, because grades definitely do matter, just up to a certain point. Try to find a happy medium. There are two types of college students: the "C's get degrees" people and the "try-hards." Make sure you pass your classes, but if you're stressing out over getting all A's, you're not optimizing your college time.
Networking matters more than you think. Getting real-world experience through internships is important. There is a caveat, though: grades will matter to get good scholarships and most internships, and they will especially matter if you plan to go to grad school at all, so keep that in mind as well.
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It's Normal to Feel Uncomfortable
Mental health is absolutely a real thing.
College is a total grind between going to classes, then studying for hours, working on assignments and projects, and trying your best to maintain a social life, stay healthy, and not go broke. It's a lot to handle. There are times where you will probably feel a combination of emotions including anxious, scared, stressed, frustrated, lonely, and nervous.
It's really important to stay on top of your mental health, especially when things get tough. It's okay to not be okay, because I can promise you that you are not alone. While everyone may have different circumstances, everyone goes through these emotions at some point in college.
Just know that there are resources available for you and know how to access them.
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You'll Need to Learn to Solve Your Own Problems
One of the biggest differences between high school and college is the fact that you'll have way more freedom and way less structure in your class schedule.
High school is generally a bubble where your parents and teachers are there for you, and they'll hold your hand and generally help ensure you succeed. That's not the case at all in college.
If you're the type of person who always has to have someone telling you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, then prepare yourself for a reality check fast. Resources are there, but it's ultimately your responsibility to reach out to career services, academic support, financial aid, your professors, etc.
They are there to help you, but only if you show initiative. Absolutely nobody is going to hold your hand anymore. Your parents shouldn't be the ones to take care of your problems. After high school, you are technically a young adult, and you'll be treated as such.
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Friends Will Make or Break Your College Experience
Honestly, you'll meet all kinds of different people from different backgrounds in college. Just about every college campus is a melting pot of people who all have different cultures and backgrounds.
Even if you go to a school with a lot of classmates and friends from high school, you might not see them around at all. Being around so many different people is a good thing, as it exposes you to a wide variety of cultures. But with that comes the caveat that people have very different personalities, and just like in the real world, there are always going to be some genuinely bad apples out there.
You'll come across drug addicts, drunks, and other people who aren't the best influences. Be very careful who you choose to affiliate with because, believe it or not, it'll drastically impact you and your entire experience. There are people out there who you genuinely can't trust, unfortunately. College students are no exception.
College is meant for you to socialize and meet new people, but always be aware of who's in your circle. My advice? Get involved or do something. Then it's a whole lot easier to find a group of friends who you share a common interest with.
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