# The most frequent myths of college you have encountered........ **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 1, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784 "2002-12-01T16:49:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/1 "2002-12-01T16:49:37Z")
What were the most frequent myths you have been told when you first started college/university? Mine were as follows… \*All the girls what to immediately have sex with you… \*Great classes no pressure \*(The biggest one of them all) Make great new friends! \*End to bullying. \*lots of partying \*End to boredom! The one thing that has happened is that I had made at least one or two genuine friends and thats about it. College life prety much sucks.Full stop. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/2 "2002-12-01T16:56:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ryan\_Liam \* > \*\*What were the most frequent myths you have been told when you first started college/university? \*\* That I’d be able to get a job right after I graduated. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/3 "2002-12-01T17:02:37Z")
If your roommate dies, you get automatic 4.0 for the semester. The library is sinking because when they designed it, the architects didn’t take into account the weight of the books. ---
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/4 "2002-12-01T17:02:56Z")
Hmm, I dunno. I’m at college now and I broke a ten month sex drought on the my fourth day. I’ve also made a _lot_ of friends including a couple whom I’ll probably remain friends with for many years after college. There are _tons_ of parties. Granted, a great many of them suck, but they’re still parties. The classes are, on the whole less stressful than the classes I used to take in high school. The only one your ‘myths’ I can identify with is the boredom one, and I solved that by joining a few clubs. It’s all what you make of it. ---
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/5 "2002-12-01T17:05:24Z")
LMAO@Rasa! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/6 "2002-12-01T17:40:45Z")
I have to agree, college is what you make of it. It’s a lot easier to make friends in college than later in life… hell, the few people I know in this town I met through a college group that they’re in. ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/7 "2002-12-01T17:42:13Z")
Myths: - It’s notably different than high school; people are more mature. - You’ll gain weight the first year from the starchy cafeteria food. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/8 "2002-12-01T17:43:13Z")
Well, they told me the top floor of the English department was haunted, and if you stayed there late enough at night the ghost would throw books at you. I spent four years trying to provoke her and didn’t get hit with one damn book. Hmm, I guess that isn’t quite what you mean, is it? Seriously, **Ryan\_Liam** , there are people who aren’t meant to go to college, and there are people who will eventually do just fine in college but aren’t ready for it when they’re eighteen. There’s no shame in falling into either of those categories, and no shame in taking some time off until you figure out where you do belong. If you’re not enjoying it, don’t force it. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/9 "2002-12-01T17:49:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*End to bullying. > \*lots of partying > > - It’s notably different than high school; people are more mature. All of these were true, at least in my case. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/10 "2002-12-01T18:02:10Z")
Same here. Also the “loads of sex” thing. Oh, yeah…and OUR library really WAS sinking, too. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/11 "2002-12-01T18:14:07Z")
> [@](#): > > - It’s notably different than high school; people are more mature. I’ll never forget the epiphany I had after my first week of college…they are the same fucknuggets who were in high school just six months ago. They aren’t mature. Of course, after a few of them failed their classes and got yelled at by mommy and daddy, they tend to get their shit together. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/12 "2002-12-01T18:25:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*…Seriously, **Ryan\_Liam** , there are people who aren’t meant to go to college, and there are people who will eventually do just fine in college but aren’t ready for it when they’re eighteen. There’s no shame in falling into either of those categories, and no shame in taking some time off until you figure out where you do belong. If you’re not enjoying it, don’t force it. \*\* I disagree. If you’re clueless about why you’re in school, or what you want to study, it’s an okay thing to step back for a while and return later when you made some decisions about your future. But dropping out because you don’t _enjoy_ it is not a good move. One of life major (and unpleasant) lessons on the road to adulthood is that there’s all kinds of crap you have to do or put up with that you don’t enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/13 "2002-12-01T19:31:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ryan\_Liam \* > \ ***All the girls what to immediately have sex with you…** I haven’t been smooth or anything of that nature in the least, but I expected to find a girlfriend by now. And here I am essentially halfway through my junior year with no relationships with the opposite sex that I can cultivate. This in itself has made college suck for me, but that’s just because I’ve been focusing on it. > [@](#): > > \ ***Great classes…** This is vague. Are just the classes you want to take not what you expected? Or are they in general just lackluster e.g. the professors don’t care? > [@](#): > > **…no pressure** Yeah, well… this IS a major determinant of what you’ll do for the rest of your life. I’d say that pressure is inherent. > [@](#): > > \***(The biggest one of them all) Make great new friends!** From my experience, this can just take a while. What year are you? > [@](#): > > \ ***End to bullying.** I suspect this may have something to do with how easy it is to get into a particular university. If it’s one where their admissions standards aren’t very rigorous, you can expect that people who aren’t going to devote much of their effort and attention to studying are going to get in. It stands to reason that such people haven’t completely grown up, as it were, so they’ll stick with acting the same childish way that suited them in high school and further back where they could screw around, act like dicks, and still get by. But then, where do you go to school? And what would you classify as bullying? > [@](#): > > \ ***lots of partying** Depends on the school, and even then the quality of the partying can vary. I go to Yale. Yeah, we have keggers and stuff and lots of them. But the parties with bars rarely last for more than two hours or so, and that’s on a GOOD day. On top of that, we don’t have a bonfire like Texas A&M does. > [@](#): > > \ ***End to boredom!** Become a nerd and just devote yourself to studying. Then it won’t be so boring any more once you’re busy. Hell, that’s what you’re there for, isn’t it? Apart from the social aspects, it IS the ultimate reason for going to college. > [@](#): > > \*\*The one thing that has happened is that I had made at least one or two genuine friends and thats about it. College life prety much sucks.Full stop. \*\* How long have you been at school? Your answer to this question will leave open or shut down everything I’ve said here, so you may not need to worry. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/14 "2002-12-01T20:04:16Z")
I went to a place where they had an amazing reputation for math. That’s what I went there for (nevermind that I’m now a journalism grad student in another state); their reputation was amazing. Only after I got there did I realize that their reputation was the work of one professor in their department. This one professor who took ambitious students under his wing and made them successful. I never had a class with him, and every other professor I had was horrible; there was even one instance where a kid stood up in math class and cursed out one of these lesser professors (and frankly the professor deserved it at that point). ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/15 "2002-12-01T20:28:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CzechMaster401k \* > \*\*I haven’t been smooth or anything of that nature in the least, but I expected to find a girlfriend by now. And here I am essentially halfway through my junior year with no relationships with the opposite sex that I can cultivate. > > This in itself has made college suck for me, but that’s just because I’ve been focusing on it. > > This is vague. Are just the classes you want to take not what you expected? Or are they in general just lackluster e.g. the professors don’t care? > The guys in the class are all loud mouth bastards.And most of them are dumb asses. > > Yeah, well… this IS a major determinant of what you’ll do for the rest of your life. I’d say that pressure is inherent. > From my experience, this can just take a while. What year are you? > I am in my first year. > I suspect this may have something to do with how easy it is to get into a particular university. If it’s one where their admissions standards aren’t very rigorous, you can expect that people who aren’t going to devote much of their effort and attention to studying are going to get in. It stands to reason that such people haven’t completely grown up, as it were, so they’ll stick with acting the same childish way that suited them in high school and further back where they could screw around, act like dicks, and still get by. > > But then, where do you go to school? And what would you classify as bullying? > > Just pressure from your friends. (maybe I don’t wanna gel my frigging hair!) > > Depends on the school, and even then the quality of the partying can vary. > > I go to Yale. Yeah, we have keggers and stuff and lots of them. But the parties with bars rarely last for more than two hours or so, and that’s on a GOOD day. On top of that, we don’t have a bonfire like Texas A&M does. > > Become a nerd and just devote yourself to studying. Then it won’t be so boring any more once you’re busy. > > Hell, that’s what you’re there for, isn’t it? Apart from the social aspects, it IS the ultimate reason for going to college. > > How long have you been at school? Your answer to this question will leave open or shut down everything I’ve said here, so you may not need to worry. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/16 "2002-12-01T20:46:23Z")
That all frats at Dartmouth are animal houses. That the administration listens to the students. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/17 "2002-12-01T21:29:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ryan\_Liam \* > \*All the girls what to immediately have sex with you… > \*Great classes no pressure > \*(The biggest one of them all) Make great new friends! > \*End to bullying. > \*lots of partying > \*End to boredom! Well, the first wasn’t entirely there, though I think I missed a few opportunities. The second is much more the case. The third … oh yes. Fourth very much so. The weekends here start on thursday after your last class (FRIDAY class? Whazzat?;)). And there’s internet access in the dorms and such to prevent boredom;) ---
**Author:** ![zoony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zoony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoony)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/18 "2002-12-01T21:44:24Z")
_law school is much more serious - the partying falls right off_ All I know is, I taxed my liver way more than my brain during law school… As for the rest, I found it was a matter of choice - I could party if I wanted to, be bored if I wanted to; I won’t pull on the rose-colored shades and say that I could get laid if I wanted to, but I did meet my fiancee in school, as well as most of the better friends I still have. It’s no more or less than what you make it. [sub]my gawd, I sound like a miss lonelyhearts column…[/sub] z ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/19 "2002-12-01T21:53:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andygirl \* > \*\*That the administration listens to the students. \*\* I’ll second that one! A friend of mine had loads of problems with a faculty member at my community college and the administration did nothing at all, even accusing her of making stuff up or being mistaken. Personally, I’m leaving my school and taking a year or two off. One of my reasons is because I’m having a bad time, but also because I’m not motivated enough to pass the classes that I have trouble with. In order to be in college, I want to care about it and since I don’t, I’m taking a break. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784/20 "2002-12-01T21:56:00Z")
Good for you, but please go back and get education when your ready, I 'd hate to see a good mind go to waste. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-frequent-myths-of-college-you-have-encountered/139784.md?page=2)