There are so many rumors flying around today about getting into college and college life that it’s almost impossible to decipher what’s the truth and what’s not. Does my major influence my career? Does everyone drink? Is mixing liquor the worst thing I could do? Here are the answers to those questions and other that come up during the college application process and experience.
Most students graduate in 4 years. This is not true at all. Less than 40% of all college students get their diploma in 4 years. Over half, around 58%, of students finish school in 6 years, all according to this Yahoo! article. I know plenty of people who have had to come back for a fifth or sixth year to finish. And there are plenty of people who drop out too. So if you can’t finish your degree in 4 years, don’t worry; you’re not alone.
My major determines what I will do in the future. This may be true in some cases, such as engineering or accounting, but often times employers will be more concerned with your ability to learn and ask questions, so you can help to solve problems that will arise in the future, according to the Yahoo! article. If you know what you want to do, then pick that major and go with it. If you don’t, there’s not a problem with choosing something that you’re interested in, and going into a completely different direction after graduation.
Everyone gains the freshmen 15. I can assure you this is not true. I never gained the freshmen 15. I actually lost a couple pounds my freshmen year. It’s just a matter of watching how much you’re eating (especially late night snacks or drunk eating) and having a work out schedule to follow. Don’t get too caught up in partying and school work and forget to take care of your body.
American colleges are the best in the world. America is actually ranked 14th in higher education, meaning that we aren’t even in the top 10, says the Yahoo! article. This is because the costs of going to college doesn’t measure up to what is actually being taught. Which is why I’ll later explain that you don’t get what you pay for.
Spring of senior year means grades and courses don’t matter. Colleges have actually been known to rescind their acceptance offers if they see that your grades have slipped at an alarming rate, according to KnowHow2Go.org. Don’t take anything for granted.
Community College is for losers. Getting an associates degree from a Community College can actually lead to you graduating from a four-year college faster, according to the Yahoo! article. Also, Community College is good for those who have to work at home while they are at school, or who can’t afford to pay student loans or go to a prestigious college. At the end of the day, employers are more concerned with what you will bring to their company than what school you attended.
Beer before liquor, never sicker…. A drink of alcohol is a drink of alcohol. It does not matter in which order you consume them, says Dr. Keri Peterson. If you drink a large amount of alcohol, you will get sick, no matter what. And if you’re not into drinking? An estimated 44,000 students drink little to no alcohol weekly, according to that same article. Join a club or an organization, there are plenty of other things to do besides drink on a college campus.
College is harder than high school. This is not true for everybody, according to http://transferbtc.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Fitness-Myths.jpg.net. The thing about college is that it’s your first time really away from your parents and you have to be responsible for your own study habits. If you keep on top of your schoolwork, go to class, and don’t get too distracted, you’ll find that college really isn’t harder than high school. You just have to be responsible for yourself. This will also help make finals week a lot easier.
College students are poor and starving. First of all, that is what the cafeteria is for, even if the food isn’t always the greatest. But more often than not, students aren’t fully supporting themselves at college, says Collegebound.net. I know at my school, most of the students were still being supported by their parents. Of course, there are students who do have to pay their way through college, but that’s not everyone.
You get what you pay for. High cost does not equal a high quality of education, according to the Yahoo! article. There really is no way of measuring what exactly a quality education is, so it’s impossible to put a price on it. Don’t get fooled by pricey colleges–if you attend one in your price range, you will have just as much a chance of getting a good job and earning a high salary as someone who attended the most expensive school in America.
There, some of the biggest college myths proven wrong. College is going to be a different experience for everyone, so just enjoy it the way you want to and don’t worry about what other people are doing.
