1. No one understands the need for ice cream until it’s the highlight of your dining hall experience. It’s not just ice cream, it is a life changing moment when your spoon finally grabs some. You learn to use your meal swipes to your advantage: unlimited ice cream. However, make sure you keep on walking it off around campus because the Freshman Fifteen is alive and thriving. Watch your back.
2. College is filled with people to talk to always due to the easy accessibility. You make floor friends, class friends, club friends and random friends that just love to be around you and converse. It seems as though there is always someone waiting to spark conversation in the lounge or dining hall. However, there are times when all you want is to be left alone and the sight of people makes you want to scream. All you really want to do is to eat Ben and Jerry’s in your bed while watching Netflix. College is learning to balance your people time and you time. When you are way to overwhelmed with people go for hike or the gym or get away for a while by yourself.
3. In the words of Piper, the shower used to be the best time. Everyone loved showering until….college. Here’s to flip flops and tiny space and let’s face it the struggle of trying to shave your legs. You learn new ways to wiggle your body in order to get those legs smooth. However, once you find the key to shaving success life is better and your daily (I hope) routine is complete.
4. Everyone hits the rock bottom of getting sick of the food in the dining hall. All you crave is some home cooking or maybe your favorite restaurant. You learn to adapt to the themed nights at the dining hall. Taco Tuesday means Mac and Cheese Wednesday is the next day. Always plan where you are going to use your meal swipes based on what’s cooking that night. There is nothing worse than being let down by a meal.
5. There will always be those times at 1 a.m. when the popcorn under your bed just isn’t going to cut it. You’re starving. Accept the fact that someone has to step up to the plate and call for pizza. Whether you decide to leave the comfort of your dorm (not recommended) or have pizza delivered, midnight snacks are a must. You’ll also realize food comes to be a constant theme in college, someone always wants to get food or is in need of more food.
6. You will have that moment where you get an amazing grade in a hard class and your only desire is to get up and bust out your happy dance. Walk back to your room, shut the door, turn the music on and dance it out. Nothing like a celebratory dance or even a five second dance party with your roommate to break up all the hard work. Embrace your inner Beyoncé, but maybe not in the middle of the quad.
7. When you come to realize the metro isn’t right next to your college and you have to take a shuttle, or maybe the bus is the easiest method. The shuttle never stops anywhere but at its regular stop place. You better run if you see it pulling up, that’s your ticket to the outside world. The best part about the bus over the metro is that there is no such thing as “single tracking” for buses. The bus is your refugee, your means of getting to the local rally, a good restaurant or the mall.
8. Learn to make an effort to talk to your family and friends back home. Maintaining the relationships back home keeps you strong while you’re adapting to all this change. Don’t forget everyone you left behind is adapting to you being gone.
9. When someone asks you what you want to do with your life. This question is a reoccurring theme in college. The best answer: make it up as you go. You don’t have to have your life be planned out. Be open to new opportunities and new ideas. Find your path at your own pace and keep searching for the answer. No one said the answer was concrete or permanent, so just roll with it. Also avoid being the dreaded person that asks the question.
10. Always keep a good perspective on life at college. Stay hopeful and find little things to celebrate, whether it’s a call from your best friend, a good grade in a class or a good meal. Stay motivated to push forward and find time for yourself. Don’t let the shower sandals wear your down or the fact that you just locked yourself out of your room while wearing nothing but a towel be a day breaker. Don’t be afraid to laugh at all the crazy things that are happening to you. College is a crazy time, be willing to accept it and make the best of it.