This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.
When starting your first year on a college campus, certain things are basically a given: homework, freedom, being broke. However, there are certain aspects of college life that may come as a surprise, or at least they were a surprise for me. Here are five things I didn’t expect coming into college:
- Going Out On Weekdays is a Constant: Everyone coming into their freshman year of college has most likely heard the phrase, “We can go out; it’s just syllabus week.” As a result, I was in no way surprised when what seemed like the majority of students had plans during the first five nights of classes. What I was surprised by, however, was that going out on school nights is not reserved just for syllabus weeks. Be prepared to have your priorities straight, because almost every night of the week you will have the option to live it up.
- I Don’t Have Nearly Enough Clothes: If you come into college thinking you have too many clothes, I bet you a thousand dollars you will change your mind. Following the logic of the first bullet point, you will find yourself needing a cute outfit multiple times a week. Especially if you join a sorority, there will be an abundance of theme nights, so have your SHEIN order ready (sorry to those who promote slow fashion; I’m a broke college student).
- Food Quality Is Not Consistent Across Campus: While this may not be true for every college, there are definitely some dining halls at my campus that are much better than others. A crispy chicken wrap from my residence hall is not the equivalent to a crispy chicken wrap from the Student Union; pick your living location accordingly.
- Foreign Languages Are Part-Time Jobs: Okay, I was warned about this factor, but I chose to ignore it, so here I am confirming the rumor. Foreign language classes are a lot of work. I took four years of French in high school and I am still struggling in my level one French class. Not to say it’s impossible to keep up, but don’t expect a blow-off class.
- Sundays Are Dead Days: This one really surprised me. With so many Starbucks and study spots around campus, I expected Sundays to be pretty lively. I was wrong. Almost everything on campus is closed on Sundays, with the Union and main streets looking like ghost towns. If you want to get out and find a cozy place to study, I recommend taking a walk into town.
