If you’re a freshman in college, you know exactly how amazing college can feel in the very beginning. Everything is new, shiny, and sparkling with brilliancy! You’re living new experiences on the daily and becoming exposed to so many new things that it’s hard for your brain to even process it all. The freedom and the sheer reality that you’re finally on your own, living with your friends, having some of the best and craziest times is enthralling. The first semester truly is a magical time and I was so lucky to love almost every second of it. However, there is a downside. The magic eventually wears off and those rose-colored glasses will fade. This happens at different times for different people, but I know that for many this starts up around the second semester of freshman year. These are the ten ways you can tell if you’re a second semester freshman…
1. You realize you didn’t want to come back after winter break
After being at home for over a month, thinking about moving back to school and going through all the chaos of school again does not seem quite as appealing. Despite thoroughly enjoying the first semester, there’s that part of you think thinks about leaving home again and realizing you’re just not that into it.
2. Realizing you’ll be drowning in homework again very soon
Sometimes during freshman year, it’s easy to forget that you’re actually in college to continue your education, not to spend time with your friends 24/7. Once the work starts to pile up, it becomes increasingly harder to manage time and to find a way to get everything finished by the deadlines. The thought of being completely immersed in an abundance of schoolwork might make you want to actually cry.
3. Midterms and finals…
If the constant stream of homework wasn’t enough to make you feel weary about your second semester, the inevitable fear of midterms and finals will. Remembering those two dreaded weeks of school from the first semester is honestly so triggering that it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s actually been blocked it out of your memory altogether.
4. Living around other people all the time freaks you out
As an introverted individual, being in my little hole of a room by myself for the duration of winter break was extremely theraputic for me and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Moving back to college means that we have to learn to be reacquainted with being around other people in your residence halls virtually all the time. It’s a scary thought.
5. You realize that you’re going to feel busy all the time all over again
It feels great to not have to do anything over winter break. You forget what it’s like to feel like you have a million things by the end of one week. Back to the grind, as they surely say…
6. School food makes you sad
After a month of mom’s homemade food for almost every meal, it’s difficult to go back to living off of school food. Really, how does some of that stuff even pass as edible? It’s one of life’s depressing mysteries. Back to slumming it in the various cafeterias…
7. It feels like you’re just going through the motions
First semester was so bright, beautiful, and new. What happened? Now, during the second semester, it seems like everything is the same old, same old. You’re used to everything and the shininess has worn to dullness. Your classes may be different, but other than that, there’s nothing new to experience anymore.
8. You’re over the friend group drama
Let’s be clear: You love your college friends more than anything. But sometimes, the constant drama within the friend group gets to be a little bit too much. How is it possible that there’s a new development to some old dug up drama happening almost every day? Can’t there be one moment of sweet solitude? Winter break was so peaceful…
9. You’re preparing for your sleep schedule to get turned upside-down
One of the most valuable lessons you probably learned your first semester of college was how to get through the day on only a few hours of sleep (or none). Sometimes there just isn’t room in your schedule for sleeping. It takes up too much valuable time that you could be spending studying or taking random midnight walks. Winter break was a great month of regular sleeping patterns but you know that won’t last much longer after you move back to school.
10. You’re already looking forward to spring break
Being back with your friends is great and all, but you can’t help but count down the weeks until you can go back home and chill out for a little while. Spring break will probably be sufficiently lit anyway, whether you’re going away or having a classicly underrated “stay-cation”.
Even though you may have found yourself turning into a jaded college student a bit earlier that you planned, college is still a pretty awesome experience. Yes, it tires you out and yes, you may not be as completely enthralled with it as you were a few months ago, but this reality check is actually a good thing. College is not a perfect, idealistic place all the time. It has its flaws and will test your patience many times over. Regardless of feeling a little drained when thinking about school, there’s still no place I’d rather be when it comes right down to it.
*All images courtesy of Giphy