Night Elf Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I've been dreaming a variety of college dreams, usually about registration. Granted, I didn't graduate from college. I have about a year to go if I stay in my major. I cannot go back right now as we're paying out a lot for dd19 to be in college. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything specific in my real life. So why am I having so many college dreams? I had a serious one and woke up at 4:00am unable to get back to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I don't know about for you, but for me dreams are never quite that literal (but they're usually easy to figure out). For me, the way I know if I've figured out what a dream meant or was for, or what part of my subconscious it was accessing, is when I think of an explanation for it and just know that it makes sense (as opposed to rationally thinking it should make sense). So I guess what I'm saying is, you are the person most likely to know what the dreams mean. That said, for me, when I dream about school I'm not registering for school but instead am about to graduate, or am going to classes, but somehow I've forgotten to go for a year or have forgotten my books or have skipped a semester's worth of classes or something. There's a major stressful feeling that I'm meant to be doing something that is expected of me but have forgotten to do it and have to get back on track somehow. I realized finally (although my mom sort of suggested it) that I was stressing about all the things society expects/expected me to do that I didn't and don't do. I got a BA but nothing more; I was quite a good student and expected to go through a lot more school. Instead I have this small business and 6 kids :) So after realizing that, one night in my dream I walked up to the front of the classroom and said, "Hold on a second, I have been happily married for 15 years, I have 6 kids, and I run a successful business. Besides, I already finished this degree a decade ago! I don't need to be here." And I haven't had the dream since then. Possibly (this is just an idea and if it doesn't feel right it's not right for you) your dream about registration is processing all the new things you've been starting in your life recently, and the sort of mental adaptation that comes with those things (especially as they're outside your previous experience somewhat and part of the outside world). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I don't know but my most common dreams are college related. Generally I realize it is finals week and I never attended the class, or I can't remember where a class is located, or I missed a month and cant even remember what class I am missing or where it is. I also dream that I get notice that I didn't really graduate and I have to go back to college and finish a semester. Of course, twenty years have passed and I remember nothing and I have to figure out what to do with my four kids while I go back and finish one more semester of college. I don't know anyone or where to live and when I go to the old bar I hung out at of course I don't know anyone. Dh said he's going to hang my diploma above the bed so I can wake up and see that I really did graduate. No idea what it means except I always took it as an anxiety dream. But maybe it is because I worked hard for my degree and never used it (besides homeschooling of course). I graduated, got married, and had babies when I always thought I would have a career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 My college dd has been having dreams about college only the building she's in is her old high school. I told her maybe it's an age thing. I haven't dreamed about high school in years. I do the same sorts of dreams y'all mentioned, the missing classes or I can't find my class or I was enrolled all semester but only showed up for the final exam and knew nothing. I've just had several dreams in the past couple of weeks about registering for school. In one of them, my dad was going to the same college and was helping me register. He died when I was 21 but he always told me to get a college degree. He thought school was very important. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 That said, for me, when I dream about school I'm not registering for school but instead am about to graduate, or am going to classes, but somehow I've forgotten to go for a year or have forgotten my books or have skipped a semester's worth of classes or something. There's a major stressful feeling that I'm meant to be doing something that is expected of me but have forgotten to do it and have to get back on track somehow. I don't know but my most common dreams are college related. Generally I realize it is finals week and I never attended the class, or I can't remember where a class is located, or I missed a month and cant even remember what class I am missing or where it is. I also dream that I get notice that I didn't really graduate and I have to go back to college and finish a semester. Of course, twenty years have passed and I remember nothing and I have to figure out what to do with my four kids while I go back and finish one more semester of college. I don't know anyone or where to live and when I go to the old bar I hung out at of course I don't know anyone. Dh said he's going to hang my diploma above the bed so I can wake up and see that I really did graduate. No idea what it means except I always took it as an anxiety dream. But maybe it is because I worked hard for my degree and never used it (besides homeschooling of course). I graduated, got married, and had babies when I always thought I would have a career. I have these exact dreams occasionally and have for years. Sometimes it seems like it's actually high school, but usually it's college. I have two undergrad degrees and am actually using my degrees more now than I ever have since I got them (although despite my age, my degrees aren't that old). Mine seem to have been triggered when oldest dd went to college. Generally anxiety about meeting goals, keeping up with responsibilities seems to be the most likely explanation for mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I finished two degrees before I was 25, but I continued to have dreams (or nightmares) about college. I would go to class after having missed several classes and find out that I had an exam that day! I continued to have variations of this dream for the past 18 years. Once I returned to school in 2017 for radically different degree, the dreams stopped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I would go to class after having missed several classes and find out that I had an exam that day! I continued to have variations of this dream for the past 18 years. I, too, have had these anxiety dreams for years. I know many people who also have them. I don't know that these anxiety dreams have any deep meaning, but I think, as adults, we forget how stressful college can be for students. Imagine today, if you had to take a comprehensive exam every six months that graded, say, your parenting skills, and ranked you against every other parent you know. This is the sort of pressure that college students can be under. Perhaps we can use the dreams to remind us of the stress our college kids can face, and grant them a little grace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.