We all have certain expectations when we enter college. Some of them are met, some are exceeded, and some fall so short of reality that we begin to ponder dropping out and becoming a stripper (if you say you haven’t done that at least once, you’re lying). My first year of college came with many life-changing, mind-boggling truths, none of which I was ready for. Now that I’m a junior, I can look back and laugh as well as shake my head at my freshman naivety. Here’s a list of 7 things that I learned in my first year of college. I think you’ll be able to relate. Your high school friends may drift away. And that’s okay. High school was a completely different world than college is, and it definitely puts some strain on your relationships. If you’re anything like me, the shock of this- even if, looking back, it was to be expected- will cause you to break down from time to time, but it’s natural. College changes people, and that’s bound to come with some loss. Focus on the present and on making new friends. Whatever you think you know about love and relationships is probably wrong. In high school, we stay among the same people for four years. We develop crushes on guys and girls we’ve known since the fourth grade, and we think love is so terrible when he or she moves onto someone else we know. Let me tell you a little secret, though: none of it matters. Yes, there are definitely those high school sweethearts that face college together and come out stronger than ever before. But college opens you up to a plethora of new people with new opinions and thoughts that you were never aware of in high school. In college, everyone around you comes with their own baggage and stories, ones that reach far beyond your tenth grade biology class. Don’t be afraid to learn from it all. You no longer have to be defined by your past. As I mentioned before, you probably grew up with your high school classmates, so everyone was aware of when you made a mistake or accomplished something. There was probably one or two rumors spread about you, too. But once you enter college, all of that changes. No one knows who you are, and you no longer have to be defined by the mistakes- or even the accomplishments- you’ve made in your past. You can finally have a fresh start. Don’t sign up for any 8 am classes unless you’re going to actually attend them. We’ve all done it, whether out of choice or not, and I think we can all agree that it was a terrible idea. 8 am in college is not the same 8 am in high school. It’s earlier and it’s more stressful. So unless you’re a morning person, don’t put yourself through the hell that is an 8 am class. Never go out the night before a big test. I remember it very clearly. I was sitting in my bed at 10 pm, pumped up and ready to study all night for a biology exam. Then, my phone rang, and my close friend was asking me if I wanted to go out. Somehow, for some reason, the logical part of my mind faded away and I didn’t even hesitate to say yes. I ended up with a C on that exam. So in short, one night of fun is not worth an undesirable grade. Lesson learned. Boys will be boys and men will be men. In college, you finally learn the difference. A real man- a man that you deserve to be with- will put you first, never make you doubt him, and will love you even when you’re a complete and total witch. A boy- the ones you fell for in high school- will rarely make you a priority, will make you question him, and won’t care to love you at your lowest. There are some guys who remain boys in their four years of college, but they make that fact known. Don’t think that you have to settle for them just because you did before. Everyone is just as lost as you are. That’s the beauty of college. You can take as many risks as you possibly want and screw up x amount of times because chances are, everyone else is, too. It’s okay to not know who you are, and it’s okay to do stupid things and take a long time to figure it out. The point isn’t to get all the answers right away; it’s to have fun and find yourself while doing it.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNT chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.