Sunday Thoughts on College

I forgot to post this, I wrote it back in August
A week and half ago, I was reading The Ensign-- its a good sabbath activity. I came across an article by Elder Packer, in fact it was the cover story.  Just as a side note, the day I saw him speak in person, was the first day I met future in laws, although at the time I wasn't romantically interested in their son, I was just looking for a ride back to college. Actually this antidote provides a good a lead to the point of my post.  In his article, he says,

 My college life began just after World War II had ended. Most of the men in our class were recently returned from military service. We were, by and large, more mature than college students of today. We had been through the war and carried with us many memories. Some of them we held on to; others we were glad to have fade away. We were more serious and did not enter into fun and games as much as students do today. We wanted to get on with our lives and knew that education was the key.

When I read that paragraph I breathed a sign of relief, so much relief I had to share it with my husband.  Which some of you may find bizarre, there is no great spiritual point in just that paragraph alone.  But before I get started let me just say, I am not claiming to be have more mature than the average college student, if anything I was immature, maybe that was my problem.  I know my future husband found me immature for most of that year, but at the same time I found him impertinent, so I guess life is fair. But I digress.
I was told repeatedly how awesome college was by adults in my life and so much so I found college disappointing.  I moved far away from home, found the culture shock- shocking, and thought most people were rude. I had no problem meeting people, I put myself out there, I went to all sorts of functions, church functions (ward and stake), Institute, university, pretty much anything I could find other than the drinking parties at the Frat houses.  I had declined those invitations in high school, so I definitely didn't look for any in college. But overall, I did not find college fun, sure I found friends, and we had fun times, but I would hardly classify college as fun. But college is a rite of passage right?  The university the end all be all, I always secretly wondered what was wrong with me.  I did enjoy my education, I love my classes once I got pass level 1.  But college was not fun, but then a few years after I graduated, a week and half ago, I read, Elder Packer's words, "We were more serious and did not enter into fun and games as much as students do today."  Apparently there is nothing wrong with me to think college was not 'fun and games'. I enter college with a strict 8 year plan, between undergrad, mission, and higher degree.  I knew exact what I was planning to study, and where my life was going.  I will admit I found it a struggle when some of my friends had no problem failing all their classes, they assumed they could redo them.  I'm also pretty sure I did homework first before play, so maybe I just wasn't fun. It quickly became aware to me, that I did not want to loaf around in college, I wanted to get what needed to be done work as quickly as I was able, and get on with life.  I believe I did that, and I've always had a ting of regret that my husband graduated in three and half years while it took me four, but in my defensive I had a baby, without the baby I could have totally beat him. But pride aside, President Packer's talk on the Tree of Life, in the August 2010 Ensign, was good.
P.S. Also I'm introvert, so I don't find large groups of people as fun as other people do. I did have fun in college, I just didn't find college the end all be all of my life of fun.  I've had way more fun since college than during. My eight year plan didn't go anything like I planned.