Willow: "Isn't college cool?": The College-Talk Thread

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

It's so interesting to hear all the different things people are studying, and how different all the colleges are in different countries.

 

[Flannen]

I'm halfway through my final year of my English degree. Can't wait to finish! lol

My university experience hasn't been the best. My time in 'halls' was absolutely awful and if my boyfriend hadn't have moved with me I would have left after my first night there. But I'm nearly done now.

In September I start my teacher training course to become a high school English teacher - I went for my interview and got accepted last week and I'm so excited! Kind of scared at the same time, got to grow up now really, lol.

For me, university wasn't the experience that everyone makes out it is. But to be honest, I went there to get a degree so I could go on to be a teacher so I'm pretty much just there to do that. Got a tough few months ahead of me too, it's all starts to get pretty darn serious from here on out so I don't think it's going to get any more fun for me, but I will hopefully have done what I set out to do come June and start taking on teenagers from September!

I have to ask this - for those in the US who go to college/university there, is it really like it is in all the TV shows and the movies?! 😉

 

[Kean]

I have to ask this - for those in the US who go to college/university there, is it really like it is in all the TV shows and the movies?! 😉

I only spent a semester studying in the States but from my experience what we see on tv/films is a very true representation of college in America. Thirsty Thursday, Home Coming, Greek Life...the whole shebang.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I'm halfway through my final year of my English degree. Can't wait to finish! lol

My university experience hasn't been the best. My time in 'halls' was absolutely awful and if my boyfriend hadn't have moved with me I would have left after my first night there. But I'm nearly done now.

In September I start my teacher training course to become a high school English teacher - I went for my interview and got accepted last week and I'm so excited! Kind of scared at the same time, got to grow up now really, lol.

For me, university wasn't the experience that everyone makes out it is. But to be honest, I went there to get a degree so I could go on to be a teacher so I'm pretty much just there to do that. Got a tough few months ahead of me too, it's all starts to get pretty darn serious from here on out so I don't think it's going to get any more fun for me, but I will hopefully have done what I set out to do come June and start taking on teenagers from September!

I have to ask this - for those in the US who go to college/university there, is it really like it is in all the TV shows and the movies?! 😉

Congrats on getting accepted to the program! I know you'll make an awesome English teacher. 😉 It's so important to get people out there who actually are excited about teaching English...that's what makes the subject fun! Some of my favorite people, people who I really look up too, have been former teachers of mine. Teachers really make a difference. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. 🙂

By "halls", you mean like a dorm, right? Those do sound terrible. I've never lived in a dorm, I've always had my own apartment off-campus. It's been difficult for me, working two jobs so I can live on my own while attending classes full-time, but it's so worth it.

I'm ready to graduate too. Go on to the next phase in my life.

In response to your question;

Yes and no. In the big, public universities, I imagine it's all frat parties and all that jazz. I go to a small, private school, so it's a very different experience. Everyone knows everyone else, its very academic-oriented and religious, and there's no sports or frats. But the people I know who go to public university talk about it pretty much as you'd imagine it to be in TV and stuff. I mean, I don't go to big college parties and what not - I'm too busy! I go to bars with friends for drinks sometimes, and you know, go to shows, movies, the usual. But most of my time during the week is spent in class or at work or sleeping, lol. My weekends usually consist of me attempting to catch up on my reading and whatever show I'm watching (and posting here, of course!).

I did go to a frat party once. It was horrible and totally what you'd expect. There were all these drunk football-player guys playing beer pong (gross) and hitting on everyone. Rap music galore!

 

[Rack]

I have to ask this - for those in the US who go to college/university there, is it really like it is in all the TV shows and the movies?! 😉

It really, really depends on where you go, whether you live on campus, and ultimately what you want your experience to be. I went to a tiny liberal arts work college--800 students out in the country. So no wild frat parties. More like long hikes and being to tired to do anything but sleep. If you go to a big state school with 40,000 students, there will be big wild parties, but there will also be artists, serious students, buffy dorks :wink:, etc. It depends if the school is in a big city or if it's isolated in a sort of autonomous community. It depends if there are lots of local students who commute or if there are people from all over going there.
I took time off between high school and college so I had already learned about parties and booze; when I went to college I was actually interested in studying and lectures and not just going through the motions because that was what I was "supposed" to be doing.

So to sum up my college experience didn't look anything like what you see in movies. If anything more like the book "Been Down so Long it Looks Like Up to Me" by Richard Farina. :wink:

 

[Crashing Doors]

I'm an English major, scheduled to graduate in about 5 or 6 months. No flipping idea what I'll do afterwards.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I'm an English major, scheduled to graduate in about 5 or 6 months. No flipping idea what I'll do afterwards.

Yay for another English major! *high fives*

 

[Kelsey]

Print Journalism major here, with a double major in Broadcast. It's been great so far, and I've really enjoyed it. I was considering English as a major, but I don't really have a drive to teach, so I switched. Not quite sure what I exactly I want to do with it yet, but I know it's right for me. =)

 

[iDarthRosenberg]

Im going for fashion design and fashion marketing.

 

[Karol]

By "halls", you mean like a dorm, right? Those do sound terrible. I've never lived in a dorm, I've always had my own apartment off-campus.

I´ve always wanted to live in a dorm! Here in BR we almost don´t have it, some public unis has "housing" but it isn´t really a dorm where lots of people live, it´s the hardest thing to get a room cause they aren´t many.
The closest thing to dorm experience here is what we call "republic". It´s like pensions where you rent a room and get to live with the other students. But again, it´s pretty small, most republics has 6 or 7 people.

 

[Eleftheria]

I am in Medicine School and study to be a doctor. Here in Greece to be a doctor you have to study for 6 years in University to get your degree, then of course you aren't considered a capable doctor yet cause you have to specialise. That is, for example, being a pediatrician, pathologist and stuff...so you have to wait until you are called one day and spend some years for specialisation.

I am in my third year of studies ,that is 5th semester, and things are getting harder every year but what i study is what i love. I have always wanted to be a doctor and help people since I was a young child. After studying really hard, i was lucky enough to get high marks in the final entry examinations.And since now I haven't failed a subject yet. But I have a long way ahead.

I live in an apartment(all students in my school do) not a dorm. That would be interesting though but here in Greece some dorms don't have the greatest of reputations, and there aren't many dorms also. I am glad my parents help me cause due to my studies there is no time for part time jobs.

I now live in a different city away from my parents and that actually taught me the hard things of life 🙂 I can now wash my own clothes, do the dishes, go out shopping...you know all the responsibilities of a house! I am lucky that my University doesn't accept a lot of people just like it happens in the capital and big cities. That actually makes us students feel closer to each other and with the teachers. I know in other cities you can hardly communicate with a teacher and he hardly knows your face. But here is different.

In "the Freshman" I really shared some of Buffy's pain and confusion cause I have a problem with finding my way in big places. And I was kinda lost. But thank God in Uni I met some of my best friends and we are trying to help each other 🙂


And I find that you people in the Boards are doing very interesting jobs and your studies are great! I hope everyone here gets what he/she wants and his/her job fill life with pleasure and happiness!

 

[BuffyElevated]

I'm going through school with DeVry Online right now to get my Associates in Web Graphics and Design. When I finish this, I'm going to apply to see if I can get more money to get my Bachelor's...

 

[Megalita]

I am a freshman at Georgia State University, majoring in English (with a concentration in Advanced Composition and Rhetoric. A mouthful, eh?) I am currently living on campus but am hoping to get an apartment with my boyfriend next year -- campus life isn't really for me!

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

What is it about English majors being Buffy fans? A lot of my friends in college like Whedon's stuff too.

 

[Cohen]

*raises hand* In college here. I'm planning on being an English teacher. And my library of Buffy/Angel books is going to be put to good use when I get my classroom. I always wondered what I'd do with them all. And my parents kept saying buying them was a waste of time! HA! I say. Haven't found that excuse for all my tv-dvds. But.. i'm planning on starting a renting service for them. You know, put an ad in the newspaper. No wait.. then they get messed up. Well, maybe I'll just keep a "DVD Room" when i buy a house one of these days (in the future, after I get a steady low-paying teaching job). My other plan is to take a few novel writing classes and get published so.. maybe that will counter my low-paying love of teaching. 🙂

 

[DingOz]

I'm going through school with DeVry Online right now to get my Associates in Web Graphics and Design. When I finish this, I'm going to apply to see if I can get more money to get my Bachelor's...

You sparked my interest in doing an online school.

I'm also planning the same thing you are!

How are you liking DeVry's lessons?

 

[Cherchezlafemme]

I just completed community college with a degree in Anthropology/African-American Studies. I'm hoping (fingers crossed) I get into Smith this year.

 

[Kean]

What is it about English majors being Buffy fans? A lot of my friends in college like Whedon's stuff too.

Found the thread, although it was about Buffy fans being writers, but close enough 😉

Buffy Fan=Writer? - Buffy-Boards

 

[Rack]

A friend of mine in college wrote her senior thesis on Buffy as the archetype of a young female hero (for Women's Studies).

 

[Blondie Bear]

A friend of mine in college wrote her senior thesis on Buffy as the archetype of a young female hero (for Women's Studies).

I wrote my Master's thesis on using Buffy to teach literary criticism. 🙂 I worked with archetypal, psychological, and cultural studies.