In high school, I had many perceptions as to what college would be like. I am the oldest child, therefore I get to be the first to do everything in my family. I heard the stories of wild parties, terrible professors and even strange professors that do completely unconventional things. Throughout my senior year, I saw Snapchat stories from my older friends who were already in college, and every day there seemed to be new stories. Late night taco bell trips, roommate pillow fights, coffee shop stops before class and pranking friends during “study sessions” every day. These funny Snapchat stories were very entertaining, and as a freshman in college now, I can relate to so many of them; however, there are many aspects of college that you cannot experience while living vicariously through your friends’ Snapchat stories. There are silly occurrences that happen often that make me stop and think, “Yep, this is college,” and I’m sure many of you can relate.
Here is a bit of insight that Snapchat stories won’t show you:
1. Waiting for a dryer is the first piece of college that Snapchat doesn’t show you. The laundry room is an interesting place. There are always lonely socks and lint piles floating around everywhere. It never fails that the dryers are always full and forgotten. I once waited almost two hours for people to come claim their laundry from the dryers. Even the folding table was full of unclaimed piles, leaving my laundry at a standstill. Snapchat stories don’t give insight to the daily annoyances such as a community laundry room. There never seems to be a good time when the laundry room is clear, either. I have tried everything from going in the middle of the day to a Friday or Saturday night when I thought there would be fewer people on campus; however, that does not seem to be the case in college. I eventually learned to just plan a day to conquer the entire monstrosity at once. I chose to take homework to pass the time.
2. Napping in order to finish homework is a must. Some days, no matter how hard I try, I find myself staring at my homework or blank note cards, struggling to piece things together and write them down. Power naps will save your life some days; it’s amazing what 30 minutes can do. I wake up and feel like a whole new person, and I’m able to knock out my homework. My friends on Snapchat seem to be invincible and carefree. Meanwhile, I’m stressing to finish online quizzes and turn in a bonus assignment before 11:59 pm.
3. Snapchat stories probably will not prepare you for the days when every study room on campus is full and you are left wandering around like a lost puppy. Freshman students quickly learn the term “conspiracy days” is more than just a joke. It never fails that in one week there is a test scheduled for almost every class. The same seems to be true across campus, not to mention the days leading up to midterms and finals when every “nook n cranny” on campus will be occupied be students studying. Be prepared to find a little coffee shop or bookstore to claim as your studying ground.
Snapchat stories are not always all that meets the eye. There are always those few in college who seem to never sleep or never go to class and live in the moment. It may seem like some people do not have to study at all, meanwhile others (including myself) are completely lost if we miss even just five minutes of a lecture. College is a different experience for everyone. We have good weeks and bad weeks, but along the way, there are incredible friends and good times to have. Memories can be saved on Snapchat, but the best ones are the ones saved in your heart.
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