This list is something I think needs to be made since a lot of high school students are now getting their acceptance letters or turning in their last few college applications. So, I now present: 10 Lies You've Heard About College.
1. It's a lot harder than high school.
You hear this one from your teachers all the time: "Be happy I'm letting you have a retake. You won't get this in college," or "Teachers aren't as forgiving in college." And it makes you feel like if you were to get shot, you'd still be expected to attend class. In reality, a lot of the teachers realize that you're just coming from high school and that it’s a different experience. They may not allow retakes, but they do drop the lowest grade or let you substitute a new grade for one of the older ones. Some even allow open-note tests. However, this could be true for a slacker student. But if you took at least one AP class in high school, you should be good. Truthfully, my AP Economics class senior year was harder than any of the classes I've taken in college so far.
2. Professors don't allow redos.
I kind of addressed this with the previous point. A lot of them allow revisions and drop low grades. Some teachers have curves. Most likely, if you have a good English professor, they will allow revisions. I don't think I've had a single teacher who doesn't drop grades or have curves!
3. Dorm rooms are tiny.
OK, dorm rooms aren't huge, but it's all about how you use the space. If you raise your bed (it doesn't have to be all the way up at the ceiling -- I'm short and I couldn't live like that), then you have a crap ton of storage space under your bed! Honestly, my dorm was bigger than my room at home last year when I was in a freshman dorm, and this year it’s even larger!
4. Homework takes longer to do.
Well, this isn’t completely false. Some classes give you one big assignment per week. If you work on it little by little during the week, it will be done and you'll feel like you hardly lifted a finger. It's all about time management. And other classes will give you some long readings, but if you just do them as soon as you get them, then you're left with a bunch of free time!
5. You drift away from high school friends.
For me, this one is most definitely not true. When my friends and I come back home, it’s like we never left, but it honestly depends on how much you're willing to stay in contact with that person and how strong your friendship was before you went away. Just make sure you leave on good terms, or else you may drift.
6. The Freshman 15.
Now, as long as you eat a normal amount and don't gorge on junk food, this is not true. And if you feel like you're in danger of gaining the weight, most college campuses have at least one gym, and most of them are free to full-time students. Just think about going two or three times a week if you feel your midsection start to expand. Also, many colleges offer club and intramural sports which will definitely keep the pounds off!
7. All sororities and frats are evil and/or will haze you.
OK, the few bad ones can give all the other ones a bad name. Now, I am not in a sorority nor do I want to join one at this time, but I do know people who are in them and they are having the time of their lives and love it! There are sororities and frats based on your major or your academics. It just depends on what you want to be a part of. If you think you want to be in one, I encourage you to go to your college's web page and try to research what sorority or frat you would like to rush; it starts very soon in the fall semester for some schools!
8. You need to know exactly what you want to do when you enroll.
No. No, no, no, no. That is the reason you do your general studies your first two years of college before you get all the way into your major. If you're undecided, don't worry. Take a few classes from different departments that may interest you! You never want to force yourself to do something you don't want to do, because think about it: What you choose to do is what you'll be doing for the next 30-40 or more years unless you decide to go back to college or get another job that doesn't require a different degree.
9. Everyone finishes college in four years.
Well, no. It can be more than four or it can be less. It really depends on your major and the number of credits you take. I encourage you to take at least 25 percent of the total credits needed a year to meet the minimum graduation requirement. If you do more, maybe you graduate a semester or year early. If you do less, you may be in for some summer courses or an extra one or two semesters.
10. Jobs care about where you went to college.
Not really. Or at least, they shouldn't be. As long as your school is accredited (that means that your degree is worth something, or else you're a bit out of luck), then it shouldn't matter. Most of them will just care that you went to college and got your degree and had a GPA within a range that shows competence in your field.
All in all, college is not nearly as scary as some teachers and other students can make it out to be. No, it's not the easiest thing in the world. But it's also the place where you learn what you want to do and meet the people that will be in your life for many years to come.
