answer:College was one of the best experiences of my life. There were a lot of parties (attended and hosted), some of which I kid you not were on par with the types you see in movies (wall to wall people, bands/djs, alcohol, etc, etc). I personally never drank a drop of alcohol, or did a single drug. I did indulge in the occasional cigarette, clove, or actual cigar… The lack of alcohol and drugs did not effect my enjoyment at all. I also would be lying if I said I didn’t have my fair share of sexual encounters. Some were relationships, some weren’t, some were meant to be but never became… Some were crappy, some were amazing…. Some were incredibly awkward, and some developed into major relationships or friendships. Obviously being away from parents was a huge reason why a lot of that was possible for most students. But it wasn’t all parties and stuff either. I also did a ton of studying. Lots of late nights trying to figure out concepts and formulas and solve practice problems. On one of my last finals weeks I had 4 finals in a 48 hour period. I literally got 2 hours of sleep in a 3 day period. I was going entirely off energy drinks, a few aderal I got from a friend, and clove cigarettes. I slept for almost 24 straight hours when I finally got to sleep. You can still have these experiences without actually being in college. I had lots of friends who simply visited on the weekends, or went to local trade schools, or even just worked locally. The only solid reason college is known for the experiences is because they tend to gather large numbers of people in that age group in one area. If you wait a few years I think it could impact your enjoyment of that experience. My maturity shot up towards the end of my college career. Going to parties didn’t really sound that fun anymore, and most the people my age shifted to bars and such. By the time I hit 22/23 if I had just started college the party life would have been lost on me.