Current Events > Really hate being a culture mismatch at college

(+) Yeah! (+)

The people in my degree program (business) are like aliens to me. They're incredibly extroverted and comfortable in crowds. They all come from rich neighborhoods of the Midwest or just straight up from the east coast.

"Aw yeah dude I'm from Oak Brook, like Chicago"
"Oh dope man, I'm from New Jersey"

If you say you're from a no name place people will actually lose interest in you because of that.

Nobody talks about any interests except sports and traveling.

Everyone is clearly quite wealthy and can afford to spend a great deal on their appearance. Most of them are involved in Greek Life in some way and often live in their fraternity or sorority. People can just say "yeah I'm Jay Garble Kwanza" and everyone's like "OH TOTES you live by 13th and Cedar right?" I can't even differentiate the frats, I never rushed because I wasn't interested in it at all. The Greek Life stuff is probably how a lot of them get familiar with each other, now that I think about it.

I've not made any lasting friends at college yet.

It really hit me this evening at my last class, it was in a big auditorium, and I kept walking down the steps looking for a row at the end that didn't have anyone yet til I got to the bottom and sat in the very corner and I realized how fucking alone I am. How cripplingly unable I am to make connections with other people. Watching everyone else talking loudly with each other, pouring into the room, confidently sitting wherever and being able to talk with anybody nearby them.

---

go join a club with mostly females
get laid

Who cares? Those people in college are all fake. I wouldn't go out with any of them, anyway. You're just another person whose only claim to fame is the fact that you're in college. And you're going to leave the same day you graduate, which is another one of your misguided ideas.

You just know the school is sending a letter for every one of my class that hasn't gone to the school yet, and that some of them are trying to get our grades. So I just take a long, hot sip of coffee.

They nod, and gives my arm a quick squeeze. "Well, you are going to go to college and study what you want to study. And, like, no amount of 'fake' is going to matter that much. I mean, college is stupid. I'll probably be going to college, but I'm not sure yet. I've got some other things I've gotta decide first, like whether to be a musician or something. But I can't.

Another_Voice posted...

Who cares? Those people in college are all fake. I wouldn't go out with any of them, anyway. You're just another person whose only claim to fame is the fact that you're in college. And you're going to leave the same day you graduate, which is another one of your misguided ideas.

You just know the school is sending a letter for every one of my class that hasn't gone to the school yet, and that some of them are trying to get our grades. So I just take a long, hot sip of coffee.

They nod, and gives my arm a quick squeeze. "Well, you are going to go to college and study what you want to study. And, like, no amount of 'fake' is going to matter that much. I mean, college is stupid. I'll probably be going to college, but I'm not sure yet. I've got some other things I've gotta decide first, like whether to be a musician or something. But I can't.

What?

---

Doe posted...

If you say you're from a no name place people will actually lose interest in you because of that.

This sounds like something you're just assuming
---

One_Day_Remains posted...

This sounds like something you're just assuming

I've seen it happen

---

Good luck in business if you're not at least a little bit extroverted and able to form even superficial relationships easily.

Going to have a hard time with that one.

You guys know business is more than sales right...

The program has majors in econometrics, information systems... and hell, it's not like accounting is intrinsically the domain of social butterflies. Most accountants in the field are introverts.

Maybe I overplayed myself in the OP because I was crying when I wrote it, but it's not that I can't form connections with people at all, it's that I can't do it in these constant huge crowds all across campus with people I share nothing in common with. It's just a bad environment for me in every which way

---

Mr Hangman posted...

Sorry to say this might not get any better. Managers, business and HR people all seem like a totally different species from the people actually doing the work. The way they talk about almost any subject is so weird and backward.

If things are really looking bleak when I do internships I have a backup plan to take a 1 year masters program here in cybersecurity...

---

Tell him Oak Brook isn't Chicago.

---

Oh also my mom who worked in HR has already gotten me to swear to never touch anything remotely approaching people management lol

---

how far are you in it?

---

berlyman101 posted...

how far are you in it?

Junior

---

yeah I'd go into cybersecurity. godspeed

---

We can have 3 majors/concentrations, currently my plan is Finance, Information Systems, Sustainability. The last one doesn't really go with the others, but it's awesome and has by far the most sane people in it. Having the Cybersec program in my pocket makes me feel a lot better about everything, especially with how much that shits in the news now. Seems like a ripe expanding field

---

oh totally. I know a few people who have gone into it with a master's and some certificates. one was a journalism major for undergrad. you can do it!

great money, too.

---

Most people in the business major are like this. Most of the people at my college gym are business majors who are very loud and outspoken.

I cannot speak for everyone else but all of my lasting friends from college so far are people from other majors. Try being more active around campus and you'll naturally meet people. Go to the campus gym. Get a campus job. Maybe see if your campus has anything video game related. Dozens of people always play Smash Bros. in the Student Union building on my campus from Noon to Evening for example.

---

Doe posted...

We can have 3 majors/concentrations, currently my plan is Finance, Information Systems, Sustainability. The last one doesn't really go with the others, but it's awesome and has by far the most sane people in it. Having the Cybersec program in my pocket makes me feel a lot better about everything, especially with how much that shits in the news now. Seems like a ripe expanding field

Sustainability is actually huge in the investing world right now

Investment Managers are just throwing money at companies that score well on ESG (environmemt, sustainability, governance)

Not a bad career path to be like an ESG analyst or something

Just try not to cry too much
---

g980 posted...

Sustainability is actually huge in the investing world right now

Investment Managers are just throwing money at companies that score well on ESG (environmemt, sustainability, governance)

Not a bad career path to be like an ESG analyst or something

Just try not to cry too much

What kind of weird ass response is this

I swear some of you talk like you've never interacted with a human being before
---

One_Day_Remains posted...

What kind of weird ass response is this

I swear some of you talk like you've never interacted with a human being before

He mentioned that sustainability didnt go with his other majors
I explained that it would go well with finance

Whats weird about it
---

The last sentence was what was weird, obviously
---

Doe posted...

Maybe I overplayed myself in the OP because I was crying when I wrote it,

---

Weren't you double-majoring in English or was that someone else?

---

Shut the fuck up LL

---

the finance bro culture is real

---

OdafeOweh posted...

Nobody knows who the fuck you are

Most people know who I am, and I'm not known for doing something heinous to another human being, unlike you, so shut the fuck up

---

I was a CRJ major for 2 years at my university and I can promise you it was 100x worse than what you're going through lol still made friends and got laid tho. You're not the only person that is like you that chose your major.
---

its called survival of the fittest

literally what business is all about in the working world

you thought you were just going there to learn how to read financial statements? that socialization and networking is literally education and you are literally skipping that class. hurrrrrrrr

---

I almost never socialized in college tbh. I was only in one club where I was the only dude which was pretty fun but aside from that I did my work and went home.

But yeah, the best thing you can do is try to find a club you have an interest in, and go from there. I never bothered with the frats and shit. Not my crowd.

---

there are therapists to talk to

---

@g980

My whole point was that your post was fucking dumb and airheaded in response to someone venting about feeling alone to the point where they were actually crying. Can't believe I needed to spell that out
---

Doe has established himself as ultra fragile and i think some encouragement to cry less is for the best
---

If I studied business I probably would have shot myself in the face

---

I love CE

"Surely it is the hundreds of other people in my program that are the problem, it cant be that i am antisocial and have already stereotyped them in my head"
---

I made literally a single friend in my business/accounting classes in college and even then we weren't friends until after college because we went to the same firm. And was a fairly introverted person. I will say I made friends in the dorms so I did have people to hang out with, but I never needed to make friends in my classes, I was just polite and cordial.

That said you gotta get practice at putting up an outwardly personable front. The business world is an inherently social one. And being able to interact with people is important. Go to random business college social events and just talk to folks. I promise you can find folks who like video games, TV, movies or whatever. That said, it doesn't hurt to at least have high-level knowledge of the local big sports team. Like I don't give a shit about basketball, but I know which teams are doing well so if need be I can participate in a conversation.

---