What was your favorite year in said time frame  (2003-2007) and why? You can include reasons both personal and pop culture-related.

I used that span because I was in college those four years -- a time unlike any other in my life.

I spent late 2003-early 2005 at a two-year college and late 2005-late 2007 at a 4-year university. I graduated in December 2007.

I definitely feel it was a transformative period in my life. In 2003, I got my first car and socially I was at the top of my game. I had more friends and dates/girlfriends in 2003 than ever before. My hometown Marlins won the World Series. I won a competition and qualified for state, which led to a very fun trip with a few friends. (I met a would-be girlfriend on the trip as well.)  I graduated from high school and enrolled in a two-year college, where I met loads of new friends. I also met a girl I clicked with immediately, but she already had a b/f.

2004 was quiet for the most part, but the same can't be said for 2005. I was reacquainted with an old middle school friend on MySpace, and shortly thereafter we began dating. Little did I know she would become my wife 9 years later. I got my first real job in the summer. In fall 2005, I enrolled at the university and a few months later I commenced an internship that would last until spring 2007.

I got a part-time freelance job in the summer of 2007 that lasted until September 2007, around the time I began my last semester in college.

I remember I was agitating to graduate and start working full-time. My two sisters, their partners, my now-wife and I went on a trip to Disney World that December that I now see as symbolically representing the end of my young adulthood and my entry into adulthood. I had been looking for full-time jobs for a few months and thanks to the recession, the next two years would prove largely forgettable. Needless to say I regretted being so anxious to graduate and wished I could return to the Ivory Tower.

As far as pop culture, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and the iPod definitely stand out. Among the most popular names in music were Green Day, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Panic at the Disco, Beyonce, Ne-Yo, All American Rejects, The Gray, T-Pain, Rihanna and Chris Brown.

Movies I remember from those years: Lord of the Rings, The 40-Year Old Virgin, Batman. Begins, Meet the Fockers, Knocked Up, Night at the Museum, The Longest Yard, Click, Spiderman 2, Spiderman 3, King Kong, Blood Diamond, I Am Legend, The Pursuit of Happiness, Dan in Real Life.

Which was your favorite year and why? What do you remember from those years in terms of pop culture?

One other thing: For those of you in college or about to graduate from high school, please make the most of your college experience. It goes by very quickly!

While being an adult isn't without its perks  (financially stable, etc.), college is memorable in that it's your first taste of (1) real adulthood  (2) true freedom.

Sometimes I wish I could revert to going to school full-time and working part-time. The 9-5 grind does get old after a while, and you have to deal with so many annoying people in the workplace (toxic bosses, drama queens, etc). I miss the days where I didn't have to stay in a cubicle for 8+ hours -- when my biggest responsibility was having a high GPA. But we have to grow up sooner or later, right?  :)

I was still a kid in 2003 so I won't include that.

2007 was my favourite year out of those. 7th Gen gaming, YouTube, iPod, Heroes, Dexter, Prison Break, The Office, 30 Rock.

Didn't care too much for the Top 40 music or any movies though.

I miss university too, but that was 2011-2016 for me  ;D Yeah I've only been away for a few months but I'm itching to go back.

I can not choose just one year, so I'm going to say 2005, 2006 and 2007. Definitely not 2004 because that was the year I was bedridden for a long time.

I think gaming was at it's best during the 2002-2007 time period!

2007. Everything  just seemed to go good that year for me.

I would say 2004 was my favorite.

I was 12 and it was the most fun summer. For the first time in my life I lived in an area with a bunch of kids my age. Everyday during that summer was an adventure. Racing bikes, exploring the woods, playing street hockey, playing wiffle ball, playing Yugioh, finally beating FFX, finally beating FFVII, playing with my new Bionicles and Beyblades. It was a fun time.

My parents had started a real estate investment business a couple years earlier. They bought houses and rented them out for profit. We moved from New Jersey to Florida to be closer to the business (and be closer to my Grandparents). In early 2004 we sold our house and moved into a rental so my parents could have more money for the business.

Sadly due to the subprime mortgage crisis too many people were buying houses they couldn't afford and not renting. By 2005 my parents had less tenants and by late 2006 the business failed and we were broke.

Basically during the 2005-07 years my parents didn't have any money for fun stuff. So I was stuck at home and bored a lot. I basically became a poor kid. My parents didn't have money for me to play hockey and baseball anymore. Also I really didn't play video games during the 06-10 era. I got back into them after I got my own job in 2010 and bought a PS3.

My mom managed to get a new teaching job in 07 (still there today) and for a year and a half we lived on her small teacher salary. It wasn't a lot but we moved into a smaller rental and it was enough to pay the rent plus keep food on the table and a once a month small restaurant trip or pizza.

In late 08 my Dad got a low paying sales job again,it was all he could find (apparently having a failed business looks really bad on your resume). However in 2010 he got a much better paying job and is still there today. So I guess you can say they are back in the high life again.

I basically hated the 06-10 years. While they aren't all bad, they weren't great either.

Needless to say, 2005 was my favorite. Not because it came from my childhood, but it was about the pop culture. I find it interesting to be a combination of early-mid 2000s culture, if you ask me.

I would say 2004 was my favorite.

I was 12 and it was the most fun summer. For the first time in my life I lived in an area with a bunch of kids my age. Everyday during that summer was an adventure. Racing bikes, exploring the woods, playing street hockey, playing wiffle ball, playing Yugioh, finally beating FFX, finally beating FFVII, playing with my new Bionicles and Beyblades. It was a fun time.

My parents had started a real estate investment business a couple years earlier. They bought houses and rented them out for profit. We moved from New Jersey to Florida to be closer to the business (and be closer to my Grandparents). In early 2004 we sold our house and moved into a rental so my parents could have more money for the business.

Sadly due to the subprime mortgage crisis too many people were buying houses they couldn't afford and not renting. By 2005 my parents had less tenants and by late 2006 the business failed and we were broke.

Basically during the 2005-07 years my parents didn't have any money for fun stuff. So I was stuck at home and bored a lot. I basically became a poor kid. My parents didn't have money for me to play hockey and baseball anymore. Also I really didn't play video games during the 06-10 era. I got back into them after I got my own job in 2010 and bought a PS3.

My mom managed to get a new teaching job in 07 (still there today) and for a year and a half we lived on her small teacher salary. It wasn't a lot but we moved into a smaller rental and it was enough to pay the rent plus keep food on the table and a once a month small restaurant trip or pizza.

In late 08 my Dad got a low paying sales job again,it was all he could find (apparently having a failed business looks really bad on your resume). However in 2010 he got a much better paying job and is still there today. So I guess you can say they are back in the high life again.

I basically hated the 06-10 years. While they aren't all bad, they weren't great either.


Sh*t man, that's awful  :\'(

Edit: ah, how rude of me. Welcome to the forums! I had you confused with another user  :-[ ;D

Sadly due to the subprime mortgage crisis too many people were buying houses they couldn't afford and not renting. By 2005 my parents had less tenants and by late 2006 the business failed and we were broke.


That must have sucked for you. No wonder why you didn't like the late 2000s so much.  :\'(

personal life: 2006

pop culturally: 2003

That must have sucked for you. No wonder why you didn't like the late 2000s so much.  :\'(


I can honestly say it wasn't my favorite period in American history. lol. I may have not had the money to do fun stuff but I had a roof over my head, always had plenty of food, was clothed and had internet access. I used my iPod Nano till about '10 or so when then I got an iPod touch. I got my first smart phone in 2012.

I remember during the recession years there were w few kids who didn't always have 3 meals to eat. Especially during the fall of 08 to the fall of 09. That was the darkest year of the recession.

What did you think of the your high school years during the early 2000's doublejm1?

What did you think of the your high school years during the early 2000's doublejm1?


I found them largely forgettable, with exception to my senior year.

I couldn't wait to graduate and begin my college experience.

I always thought of high school as a big popularity contest. Since I was timid and introverted, I yearned for the opportunity to reinvent myself -- for the chance to meet and be around different people -- and college provided that.

I loved the freedom college afforded. Gone were the days where you had to stick to the same schedule as everyone else (start at 7:30, lunch at 12, leave at 3). In college, you come and go as please. You no longer have to worry about getting in trouble for "skipping" class. You're finally treated as an adult. Popularity takes a back seat to academics.

In high school, we often find ourselves in classes with people we met in middle school -- heck, some go as far back as elementary school. If they knew you as the shy kid, trouble maker, etc., it's hard to rid yourself of that label until you make it to the Ivory Tower.

My college years were exciting in more ways than I can count. I got into a relationship with my now-wife, started an internship, met my now-best friend, saw the rise of social media, etc. Without a doubt, 2003-2007 marked my transition into adulthood.

However, like everything else in life, college has its downsides. If you're not careful, college has a way of sheltering you from the real world that awaits you once you walk out with that diploma.

When I graduated, I had a hard time for the next year or so -- not only because the recession made it awfully challenging to land a good job, but transitioning into a 9-5 lifestyle was difficult for a dedicated student like me who had always thought of school as my main "job." I also missed studying and the intellectual stimulation that college gave me.

Corporate America is markedly different. It forces you to deal with politics, red tape, favoritism, and other things that didn't factor into the college experience.

I don't miss high school at all. I do miss college a great deal.

One other thing: For those of you in college or about to graduate from high school, please make the most of your college experience. It goes by very quickly!

While being an adult isn't without its perks  (financially stable, etc.), college is memorable in that it's your first taste of (1) real adulthood  (2) true freedom.

Sometimes I wish I could revert to going to school full-time and working part-time. The 9-5 grind does get old after a while, and you have to deal with so many annoying people in the workplace (toxic bosses, drama queens, etc). I miss the days where I didn't have to stay in a cubicle for 8+ hours -- when my biggest responsibility was having a high GPA. But we have to grow up sooner or later, right?  :)


I'm only in community college and I am 75% done but it's been rough so far. Mostly due to financial reasons. The economy still sucks around here, so a lot of small business keep going out of business and I have to kept with so many 30 and 40 somethings for jobs at the big box stores... I feel like the last 2 years in community college have been slow and a drag.

I'm transferring to a University in the fall so I am hoping that it will be better. The university has both a roller hockey and an ice hockey team so I will join both. Plus I am trying to get into ROTC so I hope that will be fun.
I feel like the people who's parents are able to pay for everything while they are in college love college the most. I wish I had that luxury be sadly don't.

Being a military officer is my dream and it's the sole reason I went back to college. I'm hoping in the civilian world I can become a State Trooper or a Firefighter.

I'm outdoors kind of person and I am very competitive. Working in a cubicle sounds like a nightmare to me. If I somehow don't accomplish any of those things I will become a trucker or run off to North Dakota and become a roughneck or run off to Wyoming and become a rancher.

I feel like the people who's parents are able to pay for everything while they are in college love college the most. I wish I had that luxury be sadly don't.


I, too, attended a two-year college before transferring to the university. I didn't have to pay anything while at the two-year college thanks to my academic scholarship. However, once I transferred to the university, my scholarship money only covered 75% of my tuition. The rest I had to pay out of pocket.

I, too, attended a two-year college before transferring to the university. I didn't have to pay anything while at the two-year college thanks to my academic scholarship. However, once I transferred to the university, my scholarship money only covered 75% of my tuition. The rest I had to pay out of pocket.


Awesome dude. 75% was way better than nothing. I would take a 20% scholarship right now.

One thing though. I just can't accept the fact that college (4 years out of 100 or so) are the best years of your life. People say that all the time and I just don't buy it. I always feel like there has to be more to life then simply party in college for 4 years then spend the rest of your working in a cubicle because it's the thing your suppose to do.

I often get the feeling that there has to be more to life than just that. I guess that's another reason why I lean towards a military, police or fire career. I feel I need to serve or be apart of something great. You know?

I, too, attended a two-year college before transferring to the university. I didn't have to pay anything while at the two-year college thanks to my academic scholarship. However, once I transferred to the university, my scholarship money only covered 75% of my tuition. The rest I had to pay out of pocket.


During my first two years, I got paid to study. $8k scholarship and about $3k in grants. Tuition was around $6k. Socialism! ;D

I lost my scholarship in my 3rd year because I had to go on leave for family/health reasons. Loans and grants more than covered it though, I never paid out of pocket (except of course when it came time to repay it back). It sucks to hear anyone not enjoying university for financial reasons  :( Have you tried visiting your school's financial advising office? They usually hook you up with scholarships/grants/bursaries that you hadn't heard of.

2005 and 2007.

personal life: 2006

pop culturally: 2003


THIS!

For me it was 2004 and 2005. Those were fun years for me personally and culturally. 2004 really had a happy feel-good optimistic vibe, while 2005 was an exciting year for pop-culture, especially with movies. Both years were good for gaming as they were the height of the PS2 and Gamecube era. I also did a lot of traveling both years (2004 the road trip to NorCal, and 2005 a Eurotrip), so listening to the music from those times makes me feel very nostalgic and reminiscent of them. I just watched "The Polar Express" the other night and it really made me feel nostalgic of the holiday season of 2004.

2003 and 2006 seemed to be years of nothing going right, and 2007 was just ok (not bad but not great, 2008 was lot better). But then again, even the worst days of the worst years of that period seemed better than the best days of the best years of the 2013-2017 period.