One of the most special parts of being in college is that it’s a shared experience. You’re not in it alone; you probably have a roommate, dozens of friends and thousands of people living in close proximity who are all going through the same exact things as you. Whether you’re struggling to keep your grades up while maintaining a social life or living off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because that’s all you can afford, it’s nice to know that so many people nearby can relate.
And even if you’re looking for a community of people in the same boat online, Wholesome College Memes has got you covered! This Facebook group was created on October 21, 2020, and since then, it’s amassed an impressive 167K members. Here, you’ll find hundreds of photos of relatable memes and lots of friendly people who know the struggles of being a student all too well.
Whether you actually went to college or not, it’s likely that you know quite a bit about the experience of being a student just from media exposure. There are countless films and TV shows detailing what it’s like to be a college student, from going to ragers to navigating the social scene and working hard to pass classes taught by ruthless professors.
According to the Education Data Initiative, there were 15.397 million undergraduate students enrolled in colleges in the United States in the fall of 2022. And since 1976, the amount of women going to college has increased by 82.9%. But college enrollment in the U.S. actually hit its peak in 2010, when there were 21.02 million students enrolled.
The majority of all college students, or 60.7% to be exact, are enrolled full-time, and 62% of high school graduates will go on to attend college. But there are also plenty of students in the United States who traveled abroad to attend university, as the Education Data Initiative reports that there were over 1 million foreign students enrolled during the 2022-2023 academic year.
When it comes to what kinds of colleges these students are attending, nearly three quarters will go to public universities. And of the over 5 million who will attend private colleges, the vast majority are enrolled in nonprofit schools. However, when students return to college to earn another degree, only half of these graduate students will attend public universities.
And the majority of students currently working towards a bachelor’s degree study in one of five fields: business, health professions and related studies, social sciences and history, biological and biomedical sciences or psychology.
There’s often debate about whether or not it’s truly worth it to go to college nowadays. Especially considering the fact that over half of college students rack up debt while studying, and the average student has to borrow over $29,000 to pay for their degree.
But there are many benefits that make going to college worth it for a lot of students. In fact, 47% of Americans believe that getting a degree is worth it if you don’t have to take out loans, and nearly a quarter say that it’s worth it even if loans are necessary.
When it comes to the benefits of going to college, Bankrate notes that it’s a great way to ensure you’ll earn more during your career, as those with degrees in the United States tend to earn about 68% more than those without. College is also a wonderful place to make life-long friendships and build professional connections. Experiencing college together is absolutely a bonding experience, and I’m extremely grateful for the friendships I made along the way.
