POV: You just moved into your college dorm, met your new (hopefully not creepy) roommate, and you’re like, okay, what the hell do I do now? My first year of college is coming to a close and after 36 weeks of being a freshman, I could have never expected all the experiences I have had. Being independent for the first time, being away from home, not having a curfew or any real responsibilities is a recipe for a lot of crazy sh*t. But, it was also one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had. I have learned a lot, and most of it was learned the hard way. So, I am going to tell you five important things that I didn’t know about your freshman year of college, so hopefully you’ll be a little more prepared than I was.
1. Your standards for a “good meal” will drop astronomically
We all have heard “broke college student” and “ramen diet”, but what you don’t know is how REAL that actually is. I probably ate ramen every day for the first 2-3 months of college, and you really do get sick of it. Also, ramen isn’t even a full meal, yet I had myself convinced I was Gordon Ramsay and that my dorm microwave was my chef’s kitchen. My friend’s mom cooked lasagna and salad for us one time this semester when we went to visit, and I actually have never appreciated a meal more. There is only so much you can make confined in a dorm; yogurt, toast, and individual mac & cheese became my favorite meals. Doesn’t sound too bad, but eventually, you will crave vegetables and substance. Yes, you can order food, but what they also don’t tell you is that you will be BROKE.
2. You will get sick. Many times. You will never feel healthy again.
I genuinely can’t remember the last time I woke up in my college dorm and felt totally normal and healthy. In the span of this year, my friends and I have gotten mono, a three-month cough, allergies have been kicking our asses, we have gotten strep, bronchitis, ear infections, covid, tonsilitis, sinus infections, ear infections, the flu, a yeast infection, and probably have been inhaling black mold. I don’t say this to scare you, but you should definitely bring as much medicine as you can when you come to college, especially if you are away from home. Make sure you wash your hands and don’t use communal water fountains.
3. Parking will make you want to throw your car away
At least at my university, they like to sell more parking passes (for $250, I might add) than there are parking spots. And let me tell you, those parking cops are like Judy Hopps from Zootopia, they will get you in the 2 minutes you leave your car illegally parked. Not only are the parking lots that are close to campus extremely small, but the lots that actually have spots are about a mile away. Your best hope in getting a parking spot is to just circle around for hours until someone leaves or just never drive anywhere! Ever! It’s not actually that bad, but on the days when it’s below freezing outside and you have to walk what seems like miles to your car, it will make you question whether it’s even worth it to go outside. But hey, it’s part of the experience.
4. You will get burnt out from partying
It’s not for everyone, but a lot of people go to college to party, to meet people! However, whether it be the bar scene, the house parties, or the frat parties, it will be a crazy new world of what it means to party. You will be in the euphoria of having a social life and meeting dozens of new people, and it will be fun! But, give it three or four months, and you will just want to spend your Friday nights eating ice cream in bed with your roommates, healing your liver. No, it’s not embarrassing to stay in and not go out. You won’t regret catching those extra z’s in the morning. Still, I’ve met some people who still have the capacity to party like crazy every week, so props to those people!
5. You will need a good school-life balance
Even if you got perfect grades in high school, college will undoubtedly humble you in terms of your academic success. You have to essentially teach yourself, which becomes harder if you’re prone to snoozing alarms and skipping class— it’s okay, we all do it. However, neither completely drowning yourself in schoolwork nor blowing off school to hang out with your friends is a good idea. You have to think ahead about what your priorities are; there is always time to balance studying and your friendships/social life. Remember, you’re there to get an education, but no one said you can’t also meet your best friends.
I hope none of this scared you, I just wanted to show you the secret side of college so you don’t have to learn the hard way. At the end of the day, college is one of the best experiences you could have, and your freshman year will be one to remember. Stay safe out there beautiful girlies.