1. College is not the all out hook-up fest you were expecting
Contrary to every popular movie about the university experience, people in college don’t just have sex with everyone, everywhere all the time. Sure you’ve had a few randoms approach you will a little too much enthusiasm about walking you back to your dorm, but for the most part, the hook up scene is a lot less intense then you were expecting it would be.
2. Staying in touch with your friends from home is hard
You left home with dreams of video chats every night and constant text conversations about every single thing you and your besties are experiencing in your new life, but unfortunately that’s a lot easier said than done. In college it can be hard to find any time to do anything, let alone find a quiet enough time and place to video chat with your friends. Make sure you put in the effort though, because nothing is better than coming home to your ladies and remembering that they saw you through all your most embarrassing phases. Even that year where you wore purple mascara.
3. Midterms, although daunting, are doable and will not be the end of the world
For weeks you. were. freaking. out. Midterms seemed like they would literally ruin your life and you started to regret all those Thursday’s you chose to go to Trinity instead of doing your econ reading. You cram in Clemons for 2 nights in a row, show up to class wired on the sugar and caffeine from your pumpkin spice latte, and shockingly and suddenly realize that for the most part, you can handle it. College is hard, but if you put in the time, its doable. You go, Glenn Coco.
4. School starts to feel like home
Going away for fall break, or even being on campus with half of the school gone, makes you realize that you really have started to form a connection to this place, no matter how foreign it felt when you stepped on campus in August. You even miss your always noisy hall-mates when your away from them. And the leaky shower. And your dorm room bed. Wow, this love is getting real.
5. You haven’t found a totally solid group yet, but your starting to accept the fluidity of it all a little more.
You came into the year and you patched together a gang to roll with. Albeit that gang included 35 of your closest hall-mates and their roommates. At the beginning it stressed you out that you never knew who would come and go to parties with you, who you would eat lunch with that day or who would invite you to a tailgate. Now your a seasoned friend warrior though, taking each day as it comes and not afraid to text someone you only met once and grab a coffee. You’re learning how to make new friends. And guess what? You’re killing it. One thing you wont miss though is having to “BACK THE FUCK UP!” outside frat parties. You might actually get in now that your crew has become a little smaller.
6. You start to realize that getting hammered 4 nights a week might not be a sustainable lifestyle
You managed to swing it for midterms but all that sleep you got over break reminds you that going to bed at a normal hour and waking up not feeling nauseous is actually kind of nice. You start to rethink your Tuesday and Thursday nights, and prioritize. Maybe now you’ll just go out Thursday, Friday, Saturday? You’ll try. But you’re not making any promises. This is college after all.
7. You’re jeans start getting a little bit tighter
You spent the whole summer getting words of warning from everyone you met about the “Freshman 15.” You came into the year feeling confident that it wouldn’t happen to you, until you realized that you could have whatever food you wanted, when you wanted it. French fries at 2am? Done. Froyo with your cereal in the morning instead of milk? Sure! This was all fun and good until you pulled out your winter clothes and realized the jeans that were too big for you when you left home are barley closing. You realize it’s time to hit the gym and try a little salad every once in a while. You learn abruptly that chocolate is not a vegetable and sadly, every day is not your birthday so you say no to the dining hall sheet cake every once in a while.
8. You start taking on the identity of your school
Talking to your friends from home, you suddenly start to realize that you’ve picked up certain mannerisms that really make you feel like a UVA kid. You are really weirded out when you hear people talk about their “freshman” year instead of their first year and you are suddenly eerily inclined to say y’all. Also no casual outfit feels compete without some piece of UVA apparel. We want to rep the ‘Hoo’s everywhere we go, okay? Sue us.
9. You actually miss your family
When you left home you knew you’d miss the fam a little, but you certainly didn’t think you’d have time to or want to, actively call them–and regularly. By now though, you start to miss your dad’s dumb jokes and your mom’s home cooked meals and hugs will definitely be welcomed at Thanksgiving.
10. You can handle this shit
College has definitely been an adjustment, but now your starting to really feel like you can do this. You’re finally starting to figure it all out and you barley have to google maps where your building are anymore. You are growing up, you are independent. And you’ve realize college is going to be the best.