True College Stories

In this hilarious episode, we meet Jeff York, a hapless 19-year-old who grew up in a town of 700, a Mayberry as he puts it, with few prospects. But his venture to college in Chicago changed all that when one fateful night, he hits a formidable bump, head-on. Marilyn Chambers, the most famous porn star on earth.

Stay tuned for this coming-of-age story. These are the actual events that unfolded for an innocent college nerd and the lesson learned from his happy ending – Some things are worth waiting for.

Hear the journey of a bright young kid who went to college wishing his life to center around drinking, women, and writing whatever he felt.

This is the remarkably true story of the lessons that were handed to Steffan Postaer, but then ignored, so he could stay a college freshman forever. His authentic journey that started in college reminds us – You won’t ever change, if you don’t really don’t want to.

Regina Blackburn was a talented 18-year-old whose head was full of both idealistic and naive views of the world. She walked on the campus of Howard University in 1977, completely unaware that both those views would soon be shattered.

Don’t miss this unique event – a sexual assault story that is as uncomfortable as it is inspirational. This is the tremendous arc of a young woman who refused to live in fear. Hear her important lesson she learned at college, not found in textbooks or lectures – Silence doesn’t protect us. Sharing does.

A determined young man over-extends himself at college in every way possible. We find him hellbent on believing ambition alone will be the key to his happiness, even if it costs him the love of his life. It’s not until one fateful sit-down with a very eccentric professor does his life come into focus.

This true account written by Brian Heffernan is a lesson in life he learned from a pirate professor – Hurry less and you will enjoy life more.

In this heartfelt true story, a young couple, each from different parts of America, form an intimate relationship while studying overseas. When they suddenly learn she is pregnant, the two must make a life-altering decision 6,000 miles from home.

We think this episode is unique since the entire experience is told from the man’s point of view. And that’s a voice and perspective about this subject that’s rarely heard.

A funny but true story from 1988 that reminds us – the moment we think we are close to having it all solved, there’s always that one person who can knock it all back down. A reality that was learned the hard way, by an eager student at a tiny college of art and design in Minneapolis, taking a brutal class that was required to graduate, called Typography 101.

At a small college in Maryland, a timid loner digs deep to find the courage to stand up for what he believes in. Only like with many big decisions, he learns it will come with a terrible cost.

Long before ADHD or any names we use now for attention deficit disorders, Scott Smith went to college only to become held captive by his own turbulent brain. When the paranoia and anxiety took control, he learned quickly to tell people what was going on inside his head.

Don’t miss his true story and lesson in life not found in textbooks or online lectures – Speaking the truth will set you free.

Meet a college football superfan, a Florida freshman who desperately wants to leave his mark at a nationally televised game. And as you may guess, it ends up leaving a mark on him. A rather distinctive mark. 

Hear this cautionary tale, a lesson in life not found in textbooks or in any lectures – Your parents may not know everything, but some of it may save your skin someday.

FAIR WARNING: This episode may make you a little squeamish 🙂

In the heart of the Midwest, at the University of Illinois, a young music major joins a club on campus. The purpose of the club is to bring in world-renown guest speakers for student lectures and debates. And as one of her first assignments, this young coed is to host one of the most intimidatingly famous women of that era.

In this episode, it’s 1980. We hear the true story of Jay, a leader in college, who takes a dangerous venture into the underworld of narcotics. One that many never escape from. Hear this cautionary tale, a lesson in life not found in textbooks or online lectures – We all do some dangerously stupid things, just to be liked.

Kevin is a perfectly normal freshman at the University of Iowa who discovers an extraordinary workaround, one that will change his life. That same workaround, however, will cause him to disappear from campus altogether.

In this hilarious episode, we meet Karen Scholl, an introverted young woman who bucks her family and the entire state of Ohio by enrolling at the University of Michigan. However, her newly found independence is tested to its limits when all eyes are on her at a glamorous dinner. It will take an iron gut to decide if being the life-of-the-party sorority girl is the person she wants to become.

Hear the lesson learned from a platter of octopus tentacles – Living life your way means occasionally putting your fork down.

In another hilarious episode, we meet Chelsea Grint, a fun-loving young freshman at the University of South Florida, who became the ringleader of the wildest parties off campus.

The moment she graduates, however, those lurid nights catch up to her in a single, sweaty meeting that will determine the fate of her career.

You won’t want to miss this true story, a cautionary tale for today’s record-everything college crowd – Be prepared to relive any and every awkward moment of your life.

Our latest episode is a love story of sorts. A true story from the late 1970s of a young man who walks into a local college bar at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and meets someone that will change his life forever. Only, it’s probably not what you think. 

Find out how the world can sound so much larger if you have an open mind, and ear, to hear it.

Hear the journey of a bright young kid who went to college wishing his life to center around drinking, women, and writing whatever he felt.

This is the remarkably true story of the lessons that were handed to Steffan Postaer, but then ignored, so he could stay a college freshman forever. His authentic journey that started in college reminds us – You won’t ever change, if you don’t really don’t want to.

Hear the true story of a former U.S. Congresswoman who shares her experience as a journalism student when she got hustled into joining a sorority. It didn’t take long for this smart sophomore to learn just what it took for her to make the cut. Unpeel this secret look into a timeless college right of passage, a lesson not found in textbooks or online lectures – If something feels disingenuous, it likely is. But it doesn’t mean it’s not genuine for someone else.

A surprise pregnancy is not something any young woman just out of high school is ready for, and Marie Newman at that age was not the exception. If you think this episode, a true story, is about navigating the crossroads of what to do next, it is. In part. But it’s also about one woman’s courageous journey, starting in shame and ending in self-esteem.

Listen to arguably one of our most powerful episodes.

Once In College is a podcast dedicated to sharing unique and unforgettable experiences during college. Join us as we explore the moments during a pivotal time that shaped us for the rest of our lives.