According to psychologists Ed and Carol Diener, 98% of a sample of college students reported more happy days than unhappy ones. In a sample of disabled respondents, the percentage went down…to 95%.
Do you think those numbers are plausible? Are those of us on this site really that far out of the ordinary? In a way, I hope it’s true, because I don’t want too many other people to go through what I’ve been through. And it sort of makes me think I should forget about making the world a better place, if almost everyone is already better off than I am.
On the other hand, it also makes me feel more isolated. I guess the vast majority of people just have no idea what I’ve gone through.
Or are a lot of people just liars who claim they’re happier than they really are?
9 comments
1. College students – young, free, and yet to be crippled by their student debt.
2. ‘More happy days than unhappy’ – not that impressive. Could just mean that on balance, the amount they’re happy narrowly outweighs the amount they’re miserable.
Doesn’t sound wildly implausible. Doesn’t mean that there’s not still a ton of unhappiness washing around, under the surface. Just means that 98% of healthy young college students aren’t miserable to the point of being suicidal. There’s tons of people who are. They just tend to be at different stages of life, in different places.
Also, as this site proves time and again, there are still lots of college students who do feel suicidal.
Urk. Might not be “impressive,” but it would be a significant step up for ME.
More “happy days than unhappy ones” sounds like a marginal degree of happiness could exist for many of this 98%. Even if the results may be spot on for college students, I doubt college students are representative of the population as a whole.
Over time we get used to pain, it becomes normal for us, so that a day already becomes a happy one when we’re in a little less pain than usual. If those percentages are accurate, they’re probably rather evidence of how well humans can adapt to new circumstances and adjust their expectations accordingly.
I don’t believe it considering the high drop out rates.
Only 10%ish of people get a bachelors under the age of 24 while the other 20ish get it after that age.
Also, only 60% graduate within 6 years.
This personally doesn’t seem like something that wouldn’t be a cause of a constant feeling of despair but maybe that’s just me.
You know what sucks? Some classes are indeed hard but most of the general ed are at a level a 14 year old can handle.
Also, lower-division college classes are easier to pass than those dumb ap tests.
I personally am pretty miserable taking classes I could have handled at a younger age. Having an inefficient life is depressing as hell. I don’t really think people “need” highschool since there are hardly any basics taught. Just random ges that you have to retake basically.
I also vaguely remember in a health class I took that a really big portion of college students have a “feeling of hopelessness” (can’t remember the actual percentage but it should be somewhere on the net).
Another thing that depresses me is how we basically have go through all this work only for jobs that people a generation ago could have gotten with just a highschool diploma. I wouldn’t be surprised if others were sad about this too. Then again maybe most don’t even realize this. Probably better if they don’t.
And even with a bachelors, it takes an average of 3-9 months to just find a job apparently. Also iirc, 25% of people who get bachelros degrees don’t get economical benefit from it (because of their major probably).
Also, around 50ish percent of college students had thoughts of suicide according to abc news.
Sorry that I didn’t get any sources but that’s a pain to do when using a device.
Imo, the school system is flawed. There is absolutely no emphasis on jobs until you get to college.
All those other years were spent on just random ges that you forget anyways. Maybe I wouldn’t be so stingy about it had I had a career at this age but it really is an emasculating feeling to not be able to live a financially secure life at the age of an adult. I feel betrayed by the school system.
@water This was an interesting read. Great insights into college courses. Thank you!
Also I just read a piece that claims that a degree is really only needed in perhaps 1 of 3 jobs that ask for it. The sad results when graduates get the jobs that should not require a degree are: the pay doesn’t adequately reward the effort made, the worker is bored silly, and the turnover is high. There are no winners in this.
Ya I wish I knew this things sooner.
You know, idk your age but if you are in highschool, I would advise you to take your placement test *while* still in highschool.
I would personally recommend taking the math placement test after algebra 2 and the english one whenever since all my english classes felt the same in highschool (I took honors english my sophmore year and ap english my junior year. It basically felt the same). You shouldn’t take any higher level math offered in your highschool than alg 2. I did and it served no real purpose. I regret it a lot since I would have been better off just starting college while in highschool.
You could also just take the math one now actually since you can retake either placement test once a year anyways. If you get placed in a remedial math class for example, it wouldn’t be such a big deal considering the length of a class in college is half a year instead of a full year plus you would still be young. I got placed in the math before precal because my math was rusty but had I taked it my sophmore year (which is when I was first considering going to college as a sophmore.. it’s a long story as to why that didn’t happen) I would argue that I would have been placed in the same math or maybe even higher because I was getting basically perfect scores in alg 2 my sophmore year. I didn’t take math senior year.
I would advise you to strive for an AA-T degree *while* in highschool for the following reasons:
1) even though the human brain on average is fully developed by the age of 25, a whopping 80% on average is fully developed by the age of 3 so it’s not like you get much “smarter” from age 14 to age 18 so might as well bite the bullet now and save time AND money. More importantly (in my eyes) time. It sucks to lose your youth.
2) Economically speaking, it usually is better to go to a cc first after highschool but there are 2 huge problems with going to a cc:
a) Transferring from a cc to a university is more competitive than going from a highschool to the same university. I can’t emphasis this enough.
b) Every school has their own prerequisites needed which means it makes it harder on the student to get their credits to transfer. An AA-T I believe remedies this but it has to be discussed with a transfer counselor at a college.
Well, there is this other problem imo that may affect you and that is prestige. I didn’t think I would care at first but in the end, going to a cc instead of a good University did lower my self-esteem.
This is why you should take as many college classes while in highschool so you can:
a) graduate with less debt
b) graduate even faster
c) can change your major and still be likely to graduate earlier than 22
d) go straight to the university and not have to worry about getting into one that you like
e) iirc you can still get the extra point and have those college classes count for highschool credits so you can graduate highschool faster. I am pretty positive that you get the extra point but am not 100% positive that college classes can substitute for highschool classes. Just ask a counselor on this one.
Also, the longer someone stays in school, the more likely it is for them to drop out (you can google this but again, I don’t like getting sources while on my phone). I speculate that it is because people get discouraged by how long it’s taking them. Basically people get burned out I think.
Even good students with a lot of potential can fall into this and end up not graduating from college despite having the potential.
ABOVE ALL, before taking any sort of college class, and right after (as in the same day if possible) taking the placement test, *make an academic plan with a counselor*. See if they allow walk ins (meaning you don’t need an appointment). Probably better to make it with a transfer counselor than a normal counselor.
I would also advise to avoid ap classes like the plague. They are inefficient. They are only good for that extra point but college classes are faster (doesn’t necessarily mean harder btw) and can still grant that extra point.
Every highschool has counselors and college counselors (which I didn’t even know existed until my senior year). I would recommend going to a college counselor to help you fill out the necessary paper work (like helping you register for the cc near you, helping you with financial aid paper work, etc.).
You can also go to your nearest cc and ask a general counselor about this.
It can be done. I knew people that took college classes while in highschool.
I feel stupid that I necer went through with it. Had I asked a friend, they probably would have helped me fill out the paper work too so oh well. This depresses me a lot because I know I was better than this.
If it’s too late for you, maybe tell someone you know that is a highschooler to do this. Preferably someone who is pretty serious about school. Ya I know this is a long wall of text.