Will college be changed forever? So many young lives may never get the full benefits of college life

[Baclava]

I feel bad for them

[Squinch]

1. Lots of people have not had the benefits of college life. They manage to live happy

and productive lives despite the lack of 4 years of drinking till they vomit and dodging date rapes.

[Nature Man]

4. no shit,

right?

[tblue37]

26. + a brazillion--and I speaks as a recently retired college instructor. nt

[Baitball Blogger]

30. +1

[dchill]

2. College? Try society.

Trump has profoundly damaged society as a whole. I feel bad for all of us.

[Sherman A1]

3. Precisely

Pretty much everything has changed forever. One only hopes that the better part of that change is positive.

[Baclava]

17. My empathy glands arent big enough to fix the whole world today, sorry

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Thinking back on those days...

Curled up on the floor of a dorm bathroom stall because it turned out that 151-proof rum mixed with cherry Kool-Aid didn't agree with me; finding a partially-dissected squid in the dorm lounge refrigerator where a bio major had left it; lunatic roommates, including one who kept trying to drag me to Youth for Christ meetings; recreational chemicals and personal relationships that probably couldn't have been possible at my parents' house... Probably more fun to think about now than at the time.

[Baclava]

14. Well yeah, its supposed to be fun too! lol

[Srkdqltr]

6. What does "college life" really mean?

[Baclava]

7. Life expanding exploration, curosity, growth, new ideas and learning in a bigger world

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Plus drinking yourself silly and smoking weed.

I suppose that counts as life-expanding exploration, curiosity and growth.

[Ex Lurker]

11. Did I go to college with you?

that sure sounds familiar.

[Baclava]

15. We used to get a pound of weed, take out the window screen and seed it on the weekends, lotta work

[exboyfil]

10. I am sorry but I think you are describing a small subset of those attending college

Most are there to get the credential for a job.

[Squinch]

27. That will all still be available. It's the partying that will not, and that's not going to stunt

anyone.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. Maybe we can let go of the idea that life is incomplete or less rich without certain experiences.

[Baclava]

12. Oh FFS, is everybody over 50 here?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

18. DU does trend old, but what does that age have to do with it?

[Baclava]

19. I thought some folks might have kids getting ready to head to college, seeing what they feel

[WhiskeyGrinder]

22. As someone who knows kids in and prepping to go to college, I can tell you that they're

missing out on some experiences and gaining others, like we all do, no matter where we are.

[lunasun]

25. College Freshman that is going to go to school now in an 8x10 room . I really don't know how

this is going to work . All classes online at choosen university except one
So it doesn’t seem like a reason to pay dorm away .some he has chit chatted with online say they are going anyway to dorms but he would rather save the money . The campus would be masked classes sparse or rotated sessions, dorms single ,and sounded like the food would be delivered to the students ?
I guess a big cafeteria with salad bars and self serve is a no so it would have all been abnormal anyway . No idea where it will go from here 2021
Neither of us had “a college life” that people here are talking about but went to school in the city and worked and lived at home or our rent with others and took longer than 4 yrs,etc. .
Don’t get me wrong an education in the city of Chicago I am grateful for , but we both decided to save money so our 2 kids could go away to college if they wanted. We looked forward to it and both want to go.
They would get what we didn’t have. “That full college life”. Of course that included them working and getting scholarships too and it all looked good until May
He is the first one, and now all the classes will be online, socialization is at a minimum and it still is costly.
So for her last years of HS and his freshman college year (at a minimum time ) they are not getting more than we had at their age. Really in a way they are getting less of an experience !And it cost a lot more !

Usually we would both be working out of the house ,with me sometimes out of town , plus we are all active so not always was everyone home in our small home at the same time
But now with both of us working from home, his sister may be going to a split public HS school 1/2 the time at home too, I think it will be hard for him to use his room as a base.
Much is closed here and even as teens they are sketchy with some places that are available to socialize. Even the libraries are closed up . I remember when I wanted to go somewhere quiet to study I could get to a city library for a few hours away from home or roomates, but now no.
With the dorms we saw there were also lounge areas and of course the library and yes, people to study with and meet. Well it was nice to tour I guess ..
But he is still fortunate enough to go even online
One of his friends even though he had scholarships etc his family income went down due to covid layoffs and he would have had loans anyways, so his friend is not going to the 4 yr. school he was destined for and will attend a local jr college instead .
A lot have reworked what theyre going to do over the past few months because there are issues now with scholarships . Should they take them or look for cheaper if it’s all online anyway, or just not go
Some were going into fields that all of a sudden may not be so promising in the near future
So many complex problems
I know there may be people reading this that are homeless or in way less fortunate situations but to spend the first year of college in a small bedroom and also then stay at home after school in a now suddenly crowded house was not what I thought would happen this year when we hoped to provide our son “with a better life than we had” even though I know it will all be OK somehow
Yes, the kids will make it work .

[Squinch]

28. Yes, I see what they feel. They are disappointed. What is your point? This is what is.

[Nature Man]

20. Most are

DU is a senior citizens center on the Internets.

[Wellstone ruled]

13. This is a wake up call for all

Post High School Education. On line works,but,have to say,the Verifiable Results have to be strengthened. To many Phoenix Universities running around. Pay your money and we will send you a Certified Diploma.

[smirkymonkey]

16. I had a great time in college. However it was pretty much a four-year cocktail party.

I'm kind of amazed I managed to graduate. I don't think it's really like that anymore.

I went to a small liberal-arts private college in the NE and things were pretty cushy and comfortable. I'm not so sure I would enjoy the experience that students have these days. I don't really regret being such a partying slacker, but I do kind of wish I had applied myself a bit more. In the long run, it really hasn't mattered though.

[eissa]

21. Both of my kids are in college

and hating this. And, no, it’s not because they’re missing out on drinking and partying. They are genuinely concerned that they’re not being fully prepared academically. This is especially true for my son, a grad student in Occupational Therapy. Studies in health-related fields require a lot of field work and hands-on experiences that are no longer taking place. He’s worried he won’t be fully prepared after graduation if this continues long-term.

[MissB]

23. I have two in college this fall.

One will be going into his senior year of college. We had a good long chat last week. He kinda wants to delay a term (which would involve delaying his scholarship. Very likely his college would do that). He’s worried about a lack of an internship. He waited until his junior year to try for an internship. I told him he could hold off if he wants but really alllll the college kids are having issues with getting internships. We have contacts to get him a job if he wants one in his field or at least adjacent to his field. In the end he has decided that while it will suck to be mostly online this year, he doesn’t want to hold off on finishing his last year.

The oldest kid is starting grad school. It’s fully funded so we don’t have much to say. His research is such that he doesn’t always have to be at campus so he’s fine. He has five years ahead of him for his PhD, and I’m sure some of those years will be a bit screwy.

It’s not optimal.

Dh and I have been working this entire time- remotely. It’s not horrible but there are some things that take some getting used to, and that is just not optimal.

But we have jobs and the kids are in college. It’s all relatively just fine and dandy.

[lynintenn]

24. My grandson was so looking forward to his freshman year.

When he went home for spring break in March, classes never resumed. He misses the friends he misses campus life. Being responsible for himself and learning to live without parental oversight 24/7. He will not be eligible for an internship this fall. We will miss meeting him and his parents for Saturday tailgating parties on beautiful fall days. Seeing his school plays his Dad's school. Don't get me wrong most college kids do their share of partying but most know they are there to launch themselves into a career. You just have to keep your fingers crossed they are good at both.

[GeorgeGist]

29. We're probably not going back to NORMAL.