College is often called “the highlight” of many people’s lives. I mean, it is hard to argue with that statement if you think about it. Not only are we in our prime years surrounded by our best friends but we also have an endless access to the long awaited freedom we craved all through high school. However, what many people fail to mention your senior year of high school is that college is also the bridge to adulthood.
At first, freshman year is great. There are paid people around to do your dishes, cook dinner and clean the bathroom…basically every person’s dream. Sophomore year may be a similar situation if you are stuck in a dorm again. However, once you get your long awaited apartment with a kitchen and maybe even access to a car it all goes downhill from there. Sounds weird I know since those things seem like they would be desirable. But adulting is hard work and I think I speak for most people when I say please make it stop already!!!
Here are my top 5 struggles of adulting in college:
1. Grocery shopping
Definitely my least favorite part of college. Not only is it time consuming but it is hard work loading and unloading the groceries from your car. Also, as a broke college student it is really hard to make decisions on what you “want” and “need” especially when it comes to trying to eat healthy. Nuggets and fries can definitely become the cheaper, more enjoyable option.
2. Cooking
I first thought having a kitchen would be a wonderful road to freedom. I could finally eat what I wanted whenever I wanted rather than settling for whatever was in the dining hall. However, I soon realized that the food “I wanted” wasn’t going to cook itself. I started out making the hard dishes I always wanted to try like shrimp scampi, Greek burgers and stuffed shells but soon realized not only is it time consuming but really hard to multitask on your own! I have since made the progression to TV dinners and frozen meals…sometimes you have to make the hard decisions in life.
3. Washing dishes
At home, I always hated loading the dishwasher but washing dishes by hand is far worse. You have the constant realization that you will likely eat from other’s “cleaned plates” which doesn’t help with trust issues. While occasionally I can get away with using paper or plastic plates and silverware there is no getting around the pots and pans that pile up from an epically prepared meal.
4. Laundry
Coming to college might have been a shock in the laundry department if your mom had previously done it your whole life. While it isn’t a difficult process it is definitely a long one and it doesn’t help that you have to plan your day around it so you can switch your clothes on time and not be “that person” who takes up all the washers. The worst part for me has always been folding since you are so close yet so far to being done.
5. Cleaning the bathroom
I remember my first time cleaning the toilet and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. As a nursing student I’m always super hypersensitive to germs and the bathroom seems like the place they party. So when we added bathroom cleaning to our chore chart I was far from thrilled. But, like most adulting things, it is a painful but necessary part of life.
I’m sure most can relate to these unsaid turmoils of college. The hardest part is realizing this is probably the peak since after college you have to adult AND work. So count your blessings and enjoy every moment. At least we still have our freedom.