Even though we love our college lives, sometimes it’s just too easy to poke fun at our standard eat-sleep-study-party routines. We’ve all been stupid freshmen, and we will all one day be know-it-all seniors. As for everything in between, we most likely share similar stories, complaints, and trends. That’s where memes come in (in this case, viral content that describes a behavior or trend that spreads from person to person… or campus to campus)—an outlet for every collegiette to poke fun at her own life, while also realizing that everyone is annoyed with Facebook, spent all night cramming for an exam, and drunkenly lost their phone last night. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite college memes for you to relish in your college pains, while knowing everyone else out there feels the same.
We’ve all been (and for you pre-collegiettes, start counting down the days!) the naïve college freshman. A “tank” when it comes to drinking, an “expert” when it comes to the opposite sex, and a complete “genius” when it comes to their field of study—because if you’re a freshman majoring in pre-med, you basically already are an MD, so why not start a free clinic out of your dorm room? So, essentially, the college freshman is just too cool for school… and just too easy to poke fun at. The College Freshman memes do just that. From going to one Spanish class and miraculously becoming a native speaker, to blacking out but being able to retell the entirety of the “epic” night, to sprinting to class when they think they’re going to be late, these memes epitomize the overconfident, overeager freshman. For many, freshman year was seemingly the best thing that has ever happened to them. But for most, it’s an awkward eight months to look back on and be thankful you never have to relive.
From the wild world of freshman ignorance that seemed like only yesterday, we fast-forward to senior year: that even more awkward year of college when you have to start becoming a real person. But after successfully making it through three years of studying and partying, you’ve mastered how to just get by. College seniors have truly come to understand what’s important in a college education: three years ago, you thought you could keep drinking ‘til no end without dying; as a senior, you actually can. Three years ago, you thought you knew everything there is to know about college; now you actually do. Lazy College Senior memes prove that as a senior, you’ve earned your right to do nothing and still be on top of your game.
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Success Kid
Our parents send us away to college in hopes that we transform from unknowing, youthful children into wonderfully successful human beings. But a success story for a college student is far different from what people out there in the real world (a.k.a. Mars) would consider a triumph. As college students, we enjoy the simpler accomplishments that come our way. From waking up from a crazy night out and realizing you still have your wallet and phone, to watching a boring documentary in class but having it narrated by Morgan Freeman, it’s the little things that make our day that much better, and Success Kid capitalizes on just that.
The Condescending Wonka image has blown through the Internet, from Twitter to Facebook, until it finally landed on almost every college meme website in the country. Universities across the nation have taken this meme’s snobbish attitude and geared it to their own student life at school. At the University of Virginia their Wonka meme pokes fun at the overwhelming amount of students who wear Northface jackets: “Oh, you wear a Northface jacket? You must go on so many adventures.” We may all go to different schools, but when it comes down to it, most college students face the same grueling, first world pains. For example, a Yale University Condescending Wonka meme about cramming for an all-nighter or staying out late with friends can be understood by any collegiette across the nation: “Oh, you didn’t get any sleep last night? That’s so impressive.”
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Engineering Professor
Some of us weren’t blessed with a love for math and science and a need to further this passion by majoring in engineering. However, even if you’re not one of the chosen few, the Engineering Professor meme is still for any college student, whether they’re a pre-med, sociology, or journalism major. We’ve all had those impossibly rough and tough teachers who just refuse to give anyone a break. That professor who thinks getting a B- in their class means you’re a genius. That professor who continues to teach once class is over. That professor who only assigns reading material that they wrote, who gives intense homework assignments over spring break, who responds to your page long emails with a one word answer. Well, that professor is portrayed with this meme, giving us all the satisfaction that we aren’t the only ones struggling through their classes.
It’s that age-old question we’ve been asking ourselves since birth: why? Why this, why that, why not? Between not understanding, refusing to accept, or questioning an action, we’re constantly asking Y U NO, or just Y? At Duke, collegiettes are asking, “Professor with exam tomorrow, Y U NO understand UNC rivalry?” and at Yale they’re asking internships “Y U NO” accept sophomore applicants. Y U NO let’s you know you’re not the only one asking, “Kanye West, Y U NO interrupt Justin Bieber?”
So collegiettes, did we miss any of your favorite memes? Let us know in the comment box below!