The Evolution Of College
Start writing a post
Student Life

The Evolution Of College

From hand-written letters to landlines, Mom's golden years definitely differed from mine.

193
The Evolution Of College
Photo by Vasily Koloda on Unsplash

I'm sure you've all suffered through the tiresome and repetitive conversation with your parents that begins with, "When I was your age...". I empathize with your pain of having parents who love to compare and contrast, but mostly contrast, your lives with theirs. As different as we can all assume our college experiences are in comparison to our parents', I finally became curious as to just how different they really are (much to my mom's satisfaction). I let my mom relive her college years as she babbled in excitement in response to all my questions and comments. Here's a little of what she revealed to me, though she hinted that she still had many secrets tucked away, which makes me think her youth wasn't as lame as I presumed…

Something we can all agree on is that technology has upgraded our adolescence. Having been dependent on electronics for most of my life, it was difficult for me to imagine my mom's life without phones or computers. Her college days definitely varied from mine in this realm, literally from day one. In order to even just apply to college, my mom had to contact universities, either by phone or mail, to request to have the application sent to her. Then, she would put each application in a typewriter and type her information and essay for each university. "It was nerve-racking if you weren't a great typist --you'd have to use a lot of white-outs." This comment was especially foreign to me because typing is such second nature for kids in our generation.

Roommates are a key aspect to any college experience, and Fordham, like most colleges and universities today, does the best it can to pair you with a person who lives as similar to your living style as possible. For my mom, however, her roommate was assigned completely randomly by Dickinson College. "You would write letters back and forth to your roommate--maybe you'd get lucky and they would send a picture of themselves in the letter. We weren't able to stalk our roommates on social media to see what they looked like or what kind of friends they hung out with." Again, another foreign concept. I couldn't imagine, as I'm sure you can't either, not being able to look up the people you meet online in order to determine your liking of them. (Although, I wish our generation wouldn't be so quick to judge a person's character based on their Instagram photos, but that's beside the point).

Communicating with friends and family from home was also completely different for my mom. She remembers signing up to have a phone in your dorm at Dickinson; she and her roommate each had separate codes to access their voicemails on the landline. "Some of the most exciting times were coming home at night and seeing your voicemail light glowing and knowing you had messages; sometimes they'd be from your friends, your boyfriend, or your mom and dad." I can't even remember the last time I left a voicemail, let alone listened to one!

Overall, it was eye-opening listening to my mom reflect on her times as a college student; for the most part, our experiences mirror each other more than you'd think. It was odd, but also intriguing, to attempt to envision my mom as a "cool" college student. It made me wonder how different my experience is going to be from my own children's. I have no doubt that the next generations will be left struggling to wrap their brains around concepts that seem so common to us; I'm eager to see how these technological and social evolutions will play out.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

39405
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

23940
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

950047
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

128755
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments