Should i be scared of college?

Artemis008 · Postby **Artemis008** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 12:13 am

Next year I go to high school, and well I am definitely worried about it, it's college that scares the shit out of me. Right now all the campuses in my area and beyond are filled with feminist and sjw hierarchies and I'm an Anglo Saxon straight male. This isn't a joke thread, I'm terrified of what these people are willing to do to prevent me from speaking. I've also got to deal with student loans and juggle a job while trying to earn enough credits to advance to the next level. Is my fear justified? Or am I delusional?

P.S. I haven't talked to any one else about this, not even my mother as she's a strong feminist and I don't know if she'd actually listen to me. Thank you guys for always being there for me, it really means a lot to me.

TLtimelord · Postby **TLtimelord** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 1:38 am

Most people at college aren't going to hate you immediately for being a white male. Just be nice to everyone and they'll be nice to you back. You're guaranteed to find a group of people that are close to exactly like you that become your friends. Yes, there's awful SJWs, but you'll be hard-pressed to find people that will get "triggered" over what you have to say.

People are more decent than you think they are. You'll run into those shitty people but unless you want to engage in a discussion that devolves into what we make fun of on the internet, you won't get "silenced."

Artemis008 · Postby **Artemis008** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 1:42 am

TLtimelord wrote:Most people at college aren't going to hate you immediately for being a white male. Just be nice to everyone and they'll be nice to you back. You're guaranteed to find a group of people that are close to exactly like you that become your friends. Yes, there's awful SJWs, but you'll be hard-pressed to find people that will get "triggered" over what you have to say.

People are more decent than you think they are. You'll run into those shitty people but unless you want to engage in a discussion that devolves into what we make fun of on the internet, you won't get "silenced."

That's comforting, what happens if the teacher is an sjw? If there's anything I do know about college, it's that it isn't cheap. I really don't want to be scammed out of my money because the teacher didn't agree with me.

Magician · Postby **Magician** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 2:08 am

Political discourse is pretty far from one-sided right now. What exactly are you afraid of saying, that nobody would have your back on?

Rixitic · Postby **Rixitic** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 4:36 am

I have an associates degree from a local community college and am currently a year or so away from getting my bachelors at a modestly-sized university.

As someone who generally tries to remain neutral myself, it's hard to look at the numerous incidents of vigilantism from groups like Antifa and not be concerned by a growing far-left presence on my own campus. It's hard to see the fear and desperation a lot of people are feeling right now and not sympathize with them, but also to not fear that they may lash out at you in that fear and desperation. Even so, I do think the online discourse and media spotlight gives a distorted view of how things are in real life, at least to a degree; in spite of the numerous ads I pass by each week for student organizations and events about combating rape culture, the wage gap, fascism, etc. I haven't been confronted or attacked by anyone for being a straight white cis guy. In fairness, though, it could just be a matter of me avoiding the more political areas/events or just living on the right campus.

I'd say if you do happen to encounter an SJW or really anyone who's that pushy with their political/spiritual/etc views, you're not obligated to engage with them. And if you do, it may be best to give a non-committal but non-submissive answer -- rather than just agreeing for the sake of avoiding conflict or trying to debate with them, you could say something like "thanks for letting me know, I'll look into it" (something which, if you have the time for it, never hurts to follow through on.)

I should also mention that whether you go to college should depend on other factors as well, a big one being what kind of career you wish to pursue -- for the most part having a college degree can open the door to more job opportunities, but in some fields degrees won't help that much or even may be a hindrance. But there's also a lot more you can get out of college/university life than just credentials: depending on the college they may cover services like meals, health care, counseling and so on. We've got an IHOP, Papa Johns, fitness center and tech store on our campus, and my dorm provides laundry services. And if you live on campus you'll find you'll have a lot more free time as long as you're able to manage it well.

Though I'd say the most important benefit of the college experience is the countless opportunities it provides for self-improvement and actualization -- developing social & teamwork skills, independent living, technical skills, self-confidence, knowledge and experience and all sorts of other stuff. The degree is an extra bit of assurance that you've not only had those opportunities but got something out of them, but ultimately someone without a degree who is nonetheless proactive and demonstrates good problem-solving and cooperation is much more likely to be hired than someone with a fancy sheet of paper but none of those qualities.

So ultimately, campus politics can be pretty intimidating, and college itself can be pretty expensive and sometimes emotionally taxing... but going to college also has the potential to pay off in so many big ways. Just know that if you decide to take the plunge you'll be in it for the long haul.

(hopefully the above isn't too rambly or incoherent, I really need to stop replying to threads like these at 2/3 AM)

FireyPaperMario · Postby **FireyPaperMario** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:03 am

I would recommend going to community college first if I would you.

SethFawsitt · Postby **SethFawsitt** » Thu Nov 04, 2021 11:35 am

Artemis008 wrote: ↑
Sat Apr 08, 2017 12:13 am
Next year I go to high school, and well I am definitely worried about it, it's college that scares the shit out of me. Right now all the campuses in my area and beyond are filled with feminist and sjw hierarchies and I'm an Anglo Saxon straight male. This isn't a joke thread, I'm terrified of what these people are willing to do to prevent me from speaking. I've also got to deal with student loans and juggle a job while trying to earn enough credits to advance to the next level. Is my fear justified? Or am I delusional?

P.S. I haven't talked to any one else about this, not even my mother as she's a strong feminist and I don't know if she'd actually listen to me. Thank you guys for always being there for me, it really means a lot to me.

Of course not, you shouldn't be scared of it! The best advice I can give is not to beat yourself up over being scared. It's a very natural feeling, and more people are terrified than admit to it. I'm sure that knowing this won’t make that fear go away, but at least you can rest assured that it’s not just you. Yes, in college it will most likely be difficult to study, you will be asked a lot of papers, but you can always find help, the main thing is to know where to look. I write essays on various topics, for example, about child abuse, and they are absolutely free, so you can always use them.
Try to focus on the good parts, and maybe even watch a couple of lectures online from other universities, see what it’s really like. Demystifying the experience may make it less daunting.