<p>I have always wondered, do college students attend college to socialize? It seems as though they focus on the next party or social event rather than focus on their studies. So, do college students attend college to further their education, or to socialize? </p>
<p>Different students have different goals. I’m at school because I want to learn… academics were the most important factor when I chose a school, I didn’t think about the social aspects at all. Other students will specifically aim for party schools… my old roommate wanted to transfer so she could drink and party more. So, it depends on who you ask, not everyone cares about the same thing. I’d imagine most students try to find a balance… good academics, but won’t be totally miserable/lonely.</p>
<p>I go to college to kickstart my life but I have plenty of friends who are there for the party with no afterthought. Depends on the student and the person. Personally I’ve been (over) analyzing exactly how to make the most of my time in college since I was a freshman in highschool. I’m finally here and taking full advantage of all the growing and learning opportunities it offers. Most of my friends are either just going because they “have” to, because they want the college experience, or because they want Mrs degrees. You’ll find a wide mix of students and motivations, but I’d say party students are more common.</p>
<p>30 Years ago when I went to college, I did it to punch a ticket to get a job and to better myself. I graduated with honors, but, honestly, I didn’t really care about learning anything. That sounds so harsh putting it in writing, but it was true about how I felt. </p>
<p>A lot of reasons. There is that momentum to go straight to college for many kids who come from families where it is a given. Mine, for instance. My kids knew from the get go, that they should go to college after high school. Not necessarily the right way I raised them, but that was the case, and their schools and friends and activities all pointed them that way. </p>
<p>Had they had other plans that were better, other considerations could have been entertained, but they did not. What’s an 18 year old to do with a high school degree? They could work, but they always did in the summers, and they wanted more than those jobs. Not much out there in terms of making money and being independent, for them. As parents we were offering to pay $X for them to go away to a place set up for young people their age, and they could start the weaning process away from us in a very easy way. Still get money from us, and yet not be tied to us. Pretty good deal for them. They have to do decently in school was the condition. </p>
<p>I’m graduating in June. It’s been a long five years and I did not get the college experience. I went to community college for three years. I transferred and applied for the suites/dorms on campus twice and didn’t get a spot. I’ve lived in an apartment for these two years. </p>
<p>The education is worth it. I mean, go to a university where they will work you into oblivion and expect more from you than you expect from yourself. Go to a college where they will make you rise to the challenge. </p>
<p>I don’t think it’s a one or the other answer, but which one takes priority is important. Parental expectations are another factor. I imagine most parents have some balance of expecting their kids to put learning first, give it their best effort, and socialize (safely) in their free time. If parents are paying the bill for college, they can designate their expectations and what they will pay for. </p>
<p>It varies widely by student. My youngest is thirsty for knowledge, and she LOVES her academically stressful college because it feeds that need. She does have good friends, but I think one reason she likes them is because they are also very focused on learning and understanding things. She thinks it makes them interesting. She probably couldn’t tell you when the next campus-wide party is.</p>
<p>My second is very social and wouldn’t have wanted to attend a college like that. But she is very interested in her major in particular. I am going to guess that in some classes required for graduation and not in her major, she didn’t care as much about learning the material. But she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, so I am pretty sure she did not put her focus on the next social event.</p>
<p>My nephew is at a large state school, and is definitely keeping track of the social events. He is doing fine academically and will graduate on time. But some of his classmates won’t…</p>
<p>Students who go to college too focused on the social side often end up dropping out or taking a lot longer to graduate. So there is a consequence for focusing too much on social events, they pay for it.</p>
<p>@tiffanym My guess is it depends. Like if I’m going because I really need to get a bachelors for the next step( say professional school-Law, business, medicine, nursing…or even just a job immediately), I am more likely to treat the academic experience as a series of obstacles I must just pass through safely and unscathed (GPA/ego wise I guess) and thus I’ll try to minimize the challenge of the academic side of life and enhance the social aspects as much as possible (it’s an optimization. You minimize the influence of academic demands to enhance involvement in EC’s which will result in more recognition, enhance the CV, or resume, and thus your chances at post-grad. opps. Truly amazing students can juggle high demands from both sides easily without much maneuvering, but even most of them won’t. It isn’t unlike the balance of teaching and research if you are a tenure track faculty member at a research university. Many will minimize teaching commitment and level of instruction to enhance research output. It ends up working out for both parties where instructors need not commit more time placing more demands (asking us to engage their material more, which usually means they’ll have to grade more stuff more rigorously or do more than just lecture and give exams/quizzes) on us and can do research/other scholarly endeavors, and we don’t get demands so we can also go build our resumes all the while keeping reasonably good grades with not as much effort (and with okay/good effort, very good). It’s been this way for quite a while I guess…at least in America. </p>
<p>I’m sure it’s kind of like this elsewhere, but when I think of places like Oxbridge, Imperial College London, and other intense universities abroad, there may be more of an air of nerdiness/intellectualism (as in, even our most intense universities may have less of that) as I suppose it’s more acceptable socially and is normalized in such countries to actually want to engage academics and scholarship more closely at a younger age. However, like the US, I’m sure it’s largely treated as a means to an end.</p>
<p>As for us and “balance”:I feel like “balance” usually doesn’t mean 50/50 time spent on both so much as means, I have good, but not too demanding instructors, and plenty of social opps. I think most students view “balance” as 70-80% academic and 20-30% academic, just that the academics, when engaged in them are good enough for you to get something out of it, even if it’s just a good grade and a few factoids that you retain. Learning in the instructional or scholarly context is considered over-rated or not very useful for most unless it results in an extra credential that differentiates the person doing it from the hoards of others with bachelor degrees. The bachelors degree is kind of just “meh” now, so college is more like HS 2.0 for most, except often easier (because you can pace yourself and take less classes, which makes up for the grading often being harsher. You have so much more time to do work for many classes) time management wise.</p>
<p>I meant 70-80% social/credentialing- sorry</p>
<p>I couldn’t care less about the “experience”. I go to college to learn, get a degree, internships, etc. </p>
<p>I think the closest thing I will get to getting the “experience” is studying abroad. </p>
<p>Both are important to me. I’m not going to be a party maniac but I will try to make the most of my experience,</p>
<p>I’m very shy and suck at socializing, so I go to college to continue my education (and also due to pressure from my family to attend)</p>
<p>I go because there was once a time when I loved to learn (I still do love to learn but it is very hard). I also want a job which is stable.</p>