Before I came to college, I LIVED for the cheesy “15 things you should know about college” posts.
Now that I’ve all but completed my own first year of college, I have my own list of “15 things you should know.” You heard them here first…
1. You actually need the rainboots that made their way onto every single “college packing” list
Rainy days on campus are so totally different from rainy days at home. Hello, walking everywhere through a torrential downpour.
2. Same for the Brita filter
Take my word for it. Even if you swear up and down that you don’t have a tap water problem (like I did), you will definitely have a tap water problem within a few weeks of moving into the dorms.
3. In college, nobody cares about what you did in high school.
This is sometimes a double-edged sword. On the plus side, nobody is concerned if you were a loner who spent a considerable amount of time with her cat in high school. On the other hand, if you were a state champion athlete or the valedictorian, no one really cares about those things either.
4. In general, nobody cares about what you’re doing, like, at all.
Wear a cape to class. Get the nose piercing you were too afraid to get in high school. Choose to stay up until 4:00 am every weekend. Choose to go to bed at 9:00 pm every weekend. Trust me. No one will care enough to judge you.
5. Everybody around you comes from a different place than you, and that’s kind of amazing.
A good friend of mine once told me that in college, you truly see that everyone is raised differently. If nothing else, this in endlessly interesting. Just ask my neighbors that grew up three hours away from me what “out in the sticks” means.
6. You will never study enough for your first exam.
This could come with a really long, sad story about how I left an exam in tears but I don’t want to talk about it. Study hard, kids.
7. Read your syllabus…like, really read your syllabus.
I received a ‘D’ grade in a class for participation seemingly out of nowhere my first semester. Sure, I didn’t participate all that much…but neither did most of my classmates. It wasn’t asked of us in class all that often, but it was asked of us in the syllabus…therefore my grade in that class went down about 9%. Lesson learned: READ THE SYLLABUS.
8. Wear what you feel comfortable in
So many college blogs, videos, and articles joked about how easy it was to wear sweats/PJs to class every day. I came to college with a wardrobe packed full of casual dresses and jeans. I was so afraid that I would be overdressed for class. At my school, I DEFINITELY wasn’t overdressed. Most people in my classes were dressed kind of like me—not super-duper casual. But really, return to point #4.
9. You’re only competing with yourself
In high school, everything felt like a competition. Between class rankings, sports, and extracurriculars, it seemed like everything was a contest. In college, everything is so much more diverse. Your roommate may be the top student in Mechanical Engineering…but if you’re in Biology this doesn’t affect you at all. And even within your own major, you’re preparing for different careers, so everything doesn’t feel so cut-throat.
10. You get to set your own standards
At least at my high school, there was so much judgment shown towards anyone drinking, smoking, or having sex. Once again, #4 applies. Make your own rules about things you will and will not do…you get to set your standards now.
11. It’s easy to overlook your health.
College is stressful as all get-out, and it’s easy to overlook your health. Even if you avoid the freshman fifteen, you might still be abusing your health in another way. Sincerely, I Got Four Hours of Sleep Last Night.
12. There is so much they didn’t teach you in high school.
How to lease an apartment. How to create a budget. Where to buy the cheapest groceries. How to take the bus to a job interview. I could go on and on and on. There is just so much you didn’t learn in high school that you just have to figure out on your own.
13. This includes how to feed yourself
Sincerely, the limp quesadilla I just chased down with some horrible, day-old coffee.
14. Nobody tells you how hard it can be sometimes on your own.
My roommates and I found ourselves in the E.R. this past fall. It was one of the first times that adulthood really sunk in for me and I realized that when you’re on your own, no one is there to hold your hand.
15. This is definitely a special time in your life.
Looking back, I’ll have so much to remember. The times my roommate made me laugh so hard I fell over. The nights spent bonding over greasy cheeseburgers. Grocery shopping in a pack, which is the most freshman behavior known to man. In between the tears over finals and the stress over job applications, this is a time in my life I will remember forever—and I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything else.