Growing up with an older brother comes along with a never-ending list of pros and cons. My brother, Jacob, is a junior here at Ohio University and conveniently enough, I chose to go to school here as well. Jake and I live a whopping distance of a six-minute walk away from each other. I’ll admit I first learned about OU from my brother, but we had different reasoning for applying.
Here’s a list of my top ten pros and cons of having a big bro on the same campus as you.
1. Pro: You have the ultimate party partner.
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Whether the two of us are running tables at his house party or wandering the streets of Mill, Palmer and Court together, I know I have a solid person that I can count on no matter what.
2. Con: Sometimes he only hangs out with you for your extra swipes.
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If you read through our texts, “West 82 at 2?” can be found about 6 billion times. It’s almost a routine now that every Thursday night or Friday afternoon we meet up to use the remaining swipes leftover at the end of the week at Nelson Market. Granted, my brother uses five times the amount of swipes that I do.
3. Pro: He stills helps you in your desperate times of need.
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In the past month and a half, I’ve called up my brother and asked for things like batteries, a home cooked breakfast, headphones and instructions on how to print things off in the library. And yes, even like Little J says, fashion advice. This leads us to the next con.
4. Con: You receive brutal honesty on your appearance and outfits.
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If I happen to pass him on the way to my dreaded 8 a.m. and I just rolled straight out of bed, I’m going to receive the “you are not related to me whatsoever” look. On the other hand, if we cross paths on a night out, he’ll demand that I should be wearing a turtleneck and mom jeans.
5. Pro: Not only are you a cool sister– you also double as a wing woman.
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Think of it as a way of extending a thank you for all of his cute friends he had growing up, during high school and possibly even here at OU. Putting in a good word for girls on campus is a lot easier than it seems, but no promises… I never said I’d be a good one considering that I have the flirting ability of a Toaster Strudel.
6. Con: He has the ability to tell your parents about some of the stereotypical college activities that you partake in.
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There’s about a 90% chance that he won’t, considering he has more than likely done the exact same thing multiple times, but there’s still a slight chance that he gets satisfaction from snitching on his little sis.
7. Pro: Your brother is still protective of you.
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Some siblings may not consider this a pro, but what do you expect? That’s basically the number one rule when it comes to being a big brother. If he gave death stares to boys who looked my way in high school, surely he’ll do the same in college. Also, if a clown comes chasing after me on campus, you best believe I’ll have him on speed dial ASAP.
8. Con: He STILL messes with you.
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Picking on me for 18 years straight just wasn’t enough for him. Whether it’s him calling me embarrassing names in front of my friends, or in my case, making me walk to his apartment from across campus, just to knock on his door and turn around to see him and his roommates driving away in the car. He’s the one who knows exactly what to do to push your buttons.
9. Pro: He is literally your BFF.
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Even though we may bicker from time to time over which dining hall to use my swipes at *eye roll* or whether or not I can have the car for the weekend, we’re pretty much stuck with each other for life. So why not make the best of it? Having a brother within walking distance from my dorm can be a blessing, especially during my first year of college. It’s especially nice for when I’m homesick too, because it’s having a little piece of home nearby 24/7.
And last but certainly not least…
10. Con: Eventually he’s going to graduate.
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The day will come when I’m sitting in the Convo with the rest of my family and will watch him walk across the stage one last time. Every memory we’ve shared over the duration of the two years we’ll spend together on these beautiful, brick roads will flash through my mind. Realizing that I will soon be a lone Bobcat is a bit stressful, but we both know I’ll follow his footsteps yet again and become utterly successful. If there’s one thing I’m certain about, it’s that whenever I yell “OU?” he is guaranteed to yell back “Oh Yeah!”