“I hate college!”… Here’s what you can do to feel a little bit better about it all.
Is it normal to not like your college?
Yes, it’s actually quite normal to not like college! The truth is, going to college might not be for everyone and that is completely okay. Everyone is different and wants a different experience out of life. Don’t make yourself frustrated just because you feel like you don’t fit into the college education system.
However, not liking something doesn’t mean that you should quit immediately! Sometimes, the pros might greatly outweigh the cons so it’s important to take into consideration these things before making a decision.
“I hate college” was something that I said very often during my college years. I wanted to quit so many times, haha! But now that I’ve graduated, I’m soooo glad that I persevered and didn’t give up.
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Figure out why you don’t like college
Before making an emotional decision to quit school, it’s important to figure out why you don’t like it in the first place. Once you know the reason(s) why you’re not enjoying college, you can at least attempt to find a solution to gradually improve your college experience.
Here are some reasons why people might have a difficult time in college:
- Your classes are difficult or boring
- You’re burnt out
- Making friends in college is intimidating
- You don’t know what to do with your life
- Being an adult and living by yourself is hard
- You feel like college is wasting your time
After figuring out why exactly is it that you hate about college, start brainstorming ways you can improve your current situation and make life better.
What do I do if I hate college? 5 tips and advice
Not sure where to start? Here are some tips and advice that can hopefully make your life in college a little more bearable.
Review Your Schedule
Are you staying up all night watching Netflix and not getting enough sleep? Or are you always stressing out about college and not actually using your free time to relax?
If you feel like your life is a mess right now, maybe it’s time to evaluate your daily schedule and see what can be improved. Sticking to a routine schedule and give you a sense of control over your life, and make you feel more motivated to accomplish goals.
✅Pro Tip: I highly recommend that you try using a student planner to keep track of all your tasks, homework deadlines, and exam dates. Having a planner really made my college life so much easier, and I’m sure it’ll help you out too.
Participate in Campus Activities
Getting involved on campus is one of the best ways to get to know people at your school and feel a sense of belonging. During my first year of college, I was feeling SO LOST! I felt like I didn’t belong, and I thought about dropping out so many times.
Thankfully, in my second year, I was able to join a student organization that was honestly like a family! It was a super tight-knit community and everyone made an effort to contribute to the success of the organization.
Visit Your Career and Academic Advisor Regularly
I can’t stress how important it is to meet up with your academic/career advisor on a regular basis. If you’re confused about what you want to major in or what career path you want to take, your advisor can help you out!
During my first year of college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do AT ALL and it was causing me so much stress. Eventually I scheduled a meeting with my academic advisor and she truly helped cleared so many questions and doubts I had in my mind.
She provided me with internship and academic program resources that changed the trajectory of my experience in college in the best way possible.
Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
With social media, it’s really hard to not compare yourself to others nowadays. Everyone’s college experience is different. Some students might have to work two part-time jobs to support themselves and can’t party all the time. While others don’t have to worry financially and can stay up partying every other day.
If you see others enjoying their college experience on social media, just know that they might also have their bad days and their own struggles. Whatever you’re going through right now is a part of your journey, and you’re competing in your own race. So no need to compare yourself to others. Focus on your own journey!
Learn To Say No
Learning to say no is honestly so liberating and can make life so much easier. If you’ve always been a people-pleaser, I’m sure you understand how difficult it is to reject someone’s request. But at the end of the day, you are the most important person in your life and self-care should be your utmost priority.
If someone is asking you to do something that you don’t want to do (nor have the obligation to do), say no! It’s completely okay. Also, don’t feel pressured by your peers to go out partying if you don’t want to. No one will judge you, trust me!
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Understand That Finding Yourself Takes Time
In college, we often feel the pressure of needing to have our lives figured out already. Even though you’re probably still in your late teens or your early twenties, you’re “pressured” to choose a major and a career path you’re “passionate” about and stick to it.
Some people grew up knowing that they wanted to be a doctor or astronaut. While for the majority of people, it can take them a looooong time to figure what they truly want in life, and that’s completely ok.
Life is about exploration and learning about yourself. So use your time in college to explore your interests, learn about what you like and what you don’t like. Even if you still don’t know what you want to do with your life after graduation, you’ll at least have a better understanding of who you are.
Try Transferring to Another College
If you’ve tried all of the tips above and none of them are making your college experience better or at least bearable, maybe consider transferring to another college?
Sometimes your environment can really make a huge difference in your overall experience. Is your college located in a super cold and gloomy place? Then maybe moving to a college near a sunny beach can make you feel happier!
“I Hate College”… And That’s Okay!
It’s completely okay to not like college, so please don’t feel guilty about it. Moving away from your parents at 18 and having to navigate the college experience on your own can honestly be quite overwhelming.
However, I just want you to know that you can get through it! Even though college can be hard, there are still a lot of wonderful things to be experienced during your time on campus. For example, studying abroad, joining a sorority, running for president of a student organization, going to tailgate parties, and much more!
Sometimes, with a slight shift in perspective, everything suddenly becomes not as bad as it seems. BUT! Of course, if you do decide to drop out of college after weighing the pros and cons, that’s completely fine too! College is not for everyone, and that’s that!
xoxo,
Jamila
