Meh...i hated university when i first started. I'm in Australia, and it's a bit diferent here. We tend not to live on campus. Plus, there was no real 'campus', it was just a big office block in the middle of the city. There was so much hype about university from parents/teachers etc who went to uni/college in the 70's and back then it was nonstop partying, boozing, and very little work. I was sooo excited about going and i got a massive shock when I started. It was NOT partying, boozing, slacking. It was boring, serious and dull. And fucking HARD WORK. People were polite but certainly not sociable, and kept to themselves. I felt SO lost and alone and totally out of my depth. Like you, I found the first semester's work (actually the first year's work) boring as batshit and very difficult as i'd never studied business before.
As time went on, i despised uni less and less and slowly found my feet. Honestly, I never really loved it, but it became tolerable. Once I'd passed some of the 'core' subjects in first year, the classes started to become a lot more interesting especially because we started to be able to chose some electives, so i was much more motivated. I got to know some of my classmates and even got to like a few of them. This didn't happen magically, it came from working in a group with the same 3 people in a bunch of different subjects. After a couple of years, as a team we were extremely effective and efficient because we worked so well together and kept in constant communication. But I never got to be 'buddies' or friends with anyone at uni, doesnt bother me though.
I think the biggest mistake i made - and maybe you're doing it too, i dont know - is putting too much expectation on what uni/college was all about. When it didnt live up to my expectations, I got dissapointed and frustrated. Parties, clubs, drinking and all that sounds like fun, but college is about learning. You're there to get your degree, and sometimes you have to be single-minded in order to keep focused and motivated because it's damn easy to lose track. You HAVE to have outside interests, things that make you less focussed on the discomfort of the college situation.
Don't be ridiculous, there's no such thing as someone who's "meant for college". That's the biggest cop-out i've ever heard. If you're smart enough to have gotten through school and gotten this far, then that's all that matters. True, some people enjoy college more than others, but you're not there to enjoy yourself, your there to study hard and learn, learn, learn something useful to take away and build your career upon. I know that you're not motivated enough to put in a lot of effort with your studies at present, but it helps a lot if you at least
try to care about your grades - not just enough to 'pass' but to do really well. Some people say that grades aren't that important which i personally think is bollocks. Good grades are good grades, you'll always have them to fall back on. Remember, you will stand out in the minds of lecturers and future employers if your grades are above average, because they know that you've made an effort where others willingly slack off. Even if the subjects don't interest you much, they shouldn't be too hard to ace if it's first year core stuff. Baby yourself through it when you're studying/cramming with a big bowl of M&M's by your side, or a huge block of chocolate, or whatever substance takes your fancy :D . Rote learning. Works a treat. Cough up half a textbook in the exam and you're laughing. Person marking the exam doesn't know the difference.
Also, dont' be afraid to speak up in class and especially in groups. Do u do group assignments? Use your creativity and ingenuity to approach problems/assignments etc. Your confidence will grow and your classmates will come to respect you.
Finally, don't worry about what other people are doing! So what if they look like they're enjoying themselves? Most people are morons, walking round with stupid happy looks on their faces "ooh look at me i'm smiling like a trained seal coz i dont want everyone to know how uncertain and stressed out I am" They're probably just as uncomfortable as you are. Probably a helluva lot dumber as well, by the sounds of things, but they're getting by b/c they've found ways to cope.
Anyway, sermon over. Good luck with it all, stick with it and don't give up!
