so convo in another thread got me thinking about the stress and strain of college. i guess it (at least in the West) it’s so defining, and therefore stressful, that there are commonly nightmares about it the experience?
i know i sure have. At the military academy back when i went (that’s back when it was tough) in all the math science classes the professor (of which i was later one) would announce “take boards” and you had to go up and stand in front of a chalk board. The Prof would give a question and you had to draw out and illustrate your answer–without looking to left or right (honor code). Then upon the command of ‘cease work’ you put down your chalk and stepped back and turned around–prepared to explain/defend your answer.
i can say that right up there behind some horrific work experiences over the years it is probably my most common nightmare to be back in this place and time
I took honors 3rd semester calculus as a freshman in college. It was a mistake, I wasn’t ready for that class at that pace. I still remember the horrible feeling of being hopelessly lost and left behind by the rest of the class, like I had fallen off the ship and was left bobbing in the ocean while the rest of them sailed on. I scraped by with the worst grade of my college career but it was a miserable experience.
For about 10 years after finishing my McGill Chemical Engineering degree I would have occasional nightmares that the University contacted me and announced I missed an advanced math class and had to return to retain my degree.
My two most recurring nightmares to this day, are the ones where I’m late to class in college, or late to work at the FD. It’s funny, because I was virtually never late to either in my careers and school days, but perhaps it was that hardwired drive to be prompt, that now inhabits and manifests my dreams. That and the occasional fear of falling still, had those since I was a kid. Part of the monkey brain I suppose…
My college nightmares were:
(1) Getting called on to work a problem on the board and when I got up there I had no pants on.
(2). Being halfway through the quarter and realizing I had registered for a class I had forgotten all about, then going to the class only to realize it was time for mid-term.
These dreams lasted long after I graduated.
I went to a similar school as you in the Rockies. During basic summer we took a bunch of placement tests and I must have done well because I was placed into the advanced sections of many core classes.
During my sophomore year I waited too long to declare a major. This meant I didn’t get the chance to spread out my more advanced core classes. As an Engineering major I took my final math class … Partial Differential Equations … at the same time I had Astro 320 (Astro for Engineers, not to be confused with Astro 310 … Astro for poets). We were using math in the Astro class that I hadn’t learned in Partial Diff. On top of that I had EE 320, a management class, a military history class, and Psych 210 for a total of 18 hours. I can still remember the conversation I had after the Astro final with the instructor. I think he passed me partially out of pity and partially so he wouldn’t see me again during the summer session.
The longest 4.5 months of my life by far. At times i thought going back to my doolie year would be better than suffering through those classes. I averaged 2-3 all nighters a week.
To this day I have a recurring dream where I need a particular class to graduate, but the final is coming up and I’ve only gone to the class once or twice so It’s probably not possible to get a passing grade.
Happens 2-3 times a year and each time I wake up I have to lay there a minute and take stock.
Chiropractic college was tougher than most people realize. In first year I was given a free pass on one of the courses due to having an undergraduate equivalent in my bachelor’s degree. For a few years after graduation I had this reoccurring dream that they were taking back my D.C. degree because they decided I shouldn’t have been given a credit for this one first year course. I was standing in front of the dean and was told that I could do the entire four years over again but I had to do this particular course. Crazy, but this dream lasted for a few years.
I have the nightmare where I either can’t find the exam room or I’m late. Then I didn’t study or bought the wrong textbook for the course and didn’t realize until the exam (the latter actually happened). And just in case that isn’t enough, I suddenly realize I’m naked.
Or I have the dream where I still haven’t graduated and have to do one or two more classes but somehow can’t get myself to study or do any of the assignments and I know I’m going to fail or have my degree rescinded. I may also end up naked in public.
I’ve been out of college for 40+ years but I occasionally have a recurring nightmare about graduation. I am about to graduate but I have no idea what I am going to do with my life AND I am retired now. When’s it going to stop?
My college nightmares were:
(1) Getting called on to work a problem on the board and when I got up there I had no pants on.
(2). Being halfway through the quarter and realizing I had registered for a class I had forgotten all about, then going to the class only to realize it was time for mid-term.
These dreams lasted long after I graduated.
I stopped having dream #1 when I was still in elementary school.
Dream #2 I still have occasionally.
College was great. Sure there were some tough times since I had no idea how to study. But getting to play hockey everyday and then get to hang out with all your friends was great.
I wish I still had half the time to mess around like I did then. It’s not worse now just different. I wouldn’t go back to then if I could, but it someways I definitely miss it.
My college nightmares were:
(1) Getting called on to work a problem on the board and when I got up there I had no pants on.
(2). Being halfway through the quarter and realizing I had registered for a class I had forgotten all about, then going to the class only to realize it was time for mid-term.
These dreams lasted long after I graduated.
I still have dream #2. Only variation is that it is time for the final and I have no idea where the class has been meeting so I am running all over Ohio State’s very large campus trying to find it.
I am sure you know, but its called “impostor syndrome” (real thing). My wife has it. It is crazy. She graduated high school, college, grad school at top 10-25% each time, got a good job, great reviews, etc. The entire time it was I barely made it, I was probably the last person selected, I guessed on a couple of answers, etc.
it took her a long time to publicly grow out of it to me. I am sure internally she is the same.
To this day I have a recurring dream where I need a particular class to graduate, but the final is coming up and I’ve only gone to the class once or twice so It’s probably not possible to get a passing grade.
Happens 2-3 times a year and each time I wake up I have to lay there a minute and take stock.
It’s good to know that I’m not the person who has a variation of this dream. Even in the dream I’m questioning how I never bothered to go to class and that maybe I’m not really in the class.
To this day I have a recurring dream where I need a particular class to graduate, but the final is coming up and I’ve only gone to the class once or twice so It’s probably not possible to get a passing grade.
Happens 2-3 times a year and each time I wake up I have to lay there a minute and take stock.
It’s good to know that I’m not the person who has a variation of this dream. Even in the dream I’m questioning how I never bothered to go to class and that maybe I’m not really in the class.
Reading this thread has been illuminating as it appears to be a fairly common dream. Never occurred to me that might be the case.