This may be the single best thing college does in preparing you for the real world: it aggregates (in a constrained physical environment) thousands of people who are similar to you in age but not necessarily in interests or background, giving you tons of practice interacting with all sorts of people in all sorts of settings.
The social life part of the college experience is discussed mainly in the context of having fun. But the more time I spend in college the more I realize that the social interactions — the sheer practice that comes from the 24/7 pressure-cooker of living, sleeping, working, drinking, thinking with tons of other people — it’s these interactions which are probably more valuable than the academics. Since most professions demand people skills more than anything else, the socialization process in college does a nice job at letting you discover and develop your people skills in a range of diverse environments.
And the people who you practice socializing with usually go on to be friends, or at least weak ties, many years after college, providing the base for a professional network.
Ben, I would agree. I would wonder if going to a small liberal arts college would produce more weak ties or less weak ties in general. I would say more because at a certain point just about anybody in your class could be considered a weak tie of some sort.
I totally agree with this article. The socializing potential is incredible especially in the dorms. You need to constantly know how to deal with different personalities and make friends in order to have a fulfilling college experience.
I couldn’t agree more.
Unfortunately, not enough people see that, I think. People (at least here in Singapore) tend to see college as purely for the certification. I think the main advantage of college (and school in general) is, like you said, the social aspect of it.
Like one of my friends once said, “If you’re going to school for the purpose of [academic] education, then it’s a waste of time.”
hi, ben. nice article. what kind of advice an you give to a 30-yr-old finishing a degree in a different country?
The social life part of the college experience is discussed mainly in the context of having fun. But the more time you spend in college the more I realize that the social interactions.
Nice article on college experiences and could be even better.