Getting these responses has made me realize what my problem is.
I've realized that people, including teachers, counselors, etc., take a look at me and my GPA which, as I noted, is high, and sort of assume that I'd know everything about college administration.
Either that or they assumed you're smart enough to figure it out yourself, without holding your hand or dictating it to you; learning *independence* is a large part of what college is all about.
It's this transition from the coddling of primary education to the self-reliance of secondary education that puts many people off college, gives them the impression that it's "impersonal." It seems they would rather have a guide through the murky waters of academia. I may have misunderstood your posts, but it seems this was what you were asking.
Most colleges have a 'General Catalogue' that describes the degrees they offer and lists the kind of credits one can earn from a given class. In general, a Bachelors degree will require about 120 credit-hours which must be composed of specific courses required for the major, elective courses related to the major and general studies courses that are taken by all majors. For example, a BS in Biology will require 80 hours of biology courses, 20 hours of Chemistry courses and 20 hours of English, Math, Foreign Language and what-have-you. Guidance counselors can provide you with a list of required courses, but it's still on the student to pick a schedule and electives that qualify for credit within their chosen major.
Ultimately, the message is "the student is responsible for themself;" the information is out there, and acquiring it and synthesizing it creatively to solve your unique problem is part of your job as a student. That's been my experience, anyway.
I suppose one thing I'm realizing about college, which was probably present in high school as well but I didn't pay attention, is that there is a caste system here. Having a 3.70 GPA put me in something of the "elite" caste on campus. For example, in one of my classes, a difficult Art class, I was one of maybe two As in the entire class. I remember getting my mid-term back and someone seeing the A on the front of the paper, and most others had Cs, and I saw the look on the girl's face; I felt really bad. Later, students who had been friendly with me started acting almost subservient to me, almost ashamed to be in my presence. I just didn't understand this, and I didn't like it.
Where you attend college is a factor in this experience, too; I'd guess you'll likely see more of this at smaller, private schools as opposed to the larger state universities. My only advice is: be yourself, and don't worry too much about how others perceive you.
I suppose overall it seems that college is very simple, and yet it's full of people trying to make it more complicated than it really is. THAT'S what confuses me. Why make things more complicated than they should be?
You said this about sports too, and, as then, I am not sure I agree. That may be too idealistic or reductionist...
The process of seeking a degree is quite open-ended; from where to go to school, to what degree to seek and then just how you do so....it's a complicated process filled with many decisions. It doesn't help that people put a lot of pressure on those decisions, adding to the anxiety of getting a degree and 'needing' a degree to 'succeed,' etc. There doesn't seem to be a clear path or easy answer...
In many ways it feels like college is actually really about teaching people how to be snooty. And I don't understand the point in that.
Well, again, I guess it depends on where you're attending college and with whom. But to me, college is about "learning how to learn" (as someone here already said), more for building learning skills than knowledge, and equiping one for integration and self-dependence within a society.
Oh, and for getting drunk and way laid. :wink: