Sweet summertime fades in the blink of the eye and before you know it fall semester is here to smack you in the face. Back to early mornings, late nights, long classes and empty wallets. We all love going back to school—for the first few weeks that is.
It takes time to adjust and sometimes the pressure and anxiety of college can be an ultimate recipe for disaster. Here are some signs you’re failing at the back-to-school life before you even get a chance to pass or fail.
1. You already overslept and went late to your 9 a.m. class and it's only the second day
Most of us dread taking classes before 10 a.m. but it seems as if there's always that one class that is only offered at what feels like the crack of dawn. I feel like every semester I have at least one freak accident of sleeping through my alarm in the first or second week of school. So much for making a good first impression.
2. Starting new classes is fresh and exciting until you find out how much the books cost
Ah, getting your schedule and finding your way to the first day of new classes—how exciting. New places, new faces. It's all so refreshing. Then you read each syllabus and see the ridiculous amount of textbooks needed for all your classes. The bookstore prices make you want to cringe and sometimes even Amazon or Chegg doesn't have a great discount for your thick science book you'll only read a few chapters out of. It's cool college, just take the rest of my money why don't ya?
3. It's only the first week and you're already taking chronic powernaps
Napping is love. napping is life. napping is your friend. Just try not to do it in class. Or all day long.
4. The first week of fall semester is usually at the end of August but you don't actually start acting like a student until after Labor Day
It just doesn't even make any sense why the first week of fall semester starts in August. It's still summer. How about we celebrate my labor of going to class everyday then start the first week of school in September? Great idea.
5. You look at all the great things you can get involved in this semester then procrastinate all of it
As we get excited to go back to school and start new beginnings, we dream up big goals and achievements. You look at all the clubs and organizations you can join, read all the emails with opportunities about how you can get involved, you even grab a flier hanging in the hallway when you notice something that sparks an interest. Then as the semester goes on, how much of those extracurriculars do you actually do? Yup, probably nothing.
6. You pay close attention and take long, detailed notes in class until about the third week
We all come to class prepared with our new notebooks and pens for the first day of school. After syllabus week then about a week of opening lecture notes, notebooks start to look like doodle pads and you probably aren't taking as many in-depth notes as before. You probably also forgot to write something down that you really needed to remember.
7. You start drinking with your friends right after class
Let's hang out after class they said. It'll be fun they said. We'll only have a few drinks they said. Until you forget to do all your homework and show up to class still drunk the next day. Whoops.
8. You're already over putting any effort into getting ready in the morning
I don't know about you, but I try my hardest to wear a cute outfit, do my hair and put on makeup the first few days of school. I mean, you're meeting new people and most likely have to talk in front of the class, so it's a perfect time to wear your new back-to-school clothes. But mornings are rough. So are afternoons. Really anytime you have to put effort into getting dressed and ready to look presentable becomes a struggle. Yawn. I already give up.
9. You start to miss the taste of real food
Eating home-cooked meals from your parent’s house seems like a very distant delicacy when you go back to school. Good food on campus is either scarce or expensive when you don’t have a meal plan. And if you do have a meal plan—good luck with the cafeteria food. Well, there’s always Ramen.
10. You're already thinking about the holiday break
Is it Thanksgiving yet? Christmas? How about next summer?