Growing up, Halloween was always my favorite holiday. I loved dressing up, getting free candy, and going to parties with my friends. Not much has changed. But I would always get super freaked out by the guy in the mask walking around; I guess the uncertainty got me, because I couldn't quite tell who it was. (At least twice, it was my brother.) Now that I'm older, I still love Halloween, but I'm more scared than ever this year. Here are the top ten scariest things I've encountered as a college student.
1. FAFSA
The FAFSA strikes fear and discomfort into the hearts of many, many college students across the country. On average, 55 percent of students complete the application every year according to this article. Debt is terrifying, and with rising tuition prices across the country, waiting to see if you’re awarded a grant or a loan can be nerve wracking, so it’s definitely scaring me this Halloween. (Side note: did you know you can fill out the FAFSA starting the first of October instead of the first of January? Get on that for the 2017-2018 academic year here!
2. WiFi Outages
Hi, my name is Hayley, and I’m addicted to the internet. I’m
always online. And let’s be real, in our technological world, we need to be connected. Most, if not all, of my work for my classes is completed online, and some of my assignments and tests are submitted through my school’s grading portals. So when the WiFi goes down, I freak. I bug out. Real talk, if I’m paying so much to go to school, I don’t
care if I’m watching
Netflix or working on a paper; If I’m supposed to be getting state-of-the-art WiFi, I expect it. Maybe it’s the failure to get my needs met here that scares me the most of all.
3. Final Exams
I love those classes that have their grading breakdown as: 20 percent first midterm, 20 percent second midterm, and 60 percent final exam. If you’re not a great test taker, which is fine, because everyone is intelligent and has strengths in different disciplines, the thought of your GPA riding on one two hour exam is frightening. And if your syllabus really reads like the first line, you might want to start studying now.
Seeing family is always nice. I love mine! But as we approach the holiday season, we’re inevitably approaching a cascade of questions such as: “When are you going to bring home someone for us to meet?” “How are your grades?” And my favorite, “So what are you going to
do with
that major?” It’s stressful. Dodging questions is tough, so I like to go straight for the food and answer every question with a gesture to indicate that I’m eating. Repeat until all relatives have left.
5. Making Your Own Appointments
All my life I’ve wanted true independence, and with that, comes making your own appointments. If you’re anything like me, you know that’s awful. I don’t know which is worse: actually speaking to someone or leaving a voicemail. It’s a coin toss. What if you can’t hear them properly? What if you dialed the wrong number? What if you leave the wrong name in the voicemail? (Which I’ve actually done). Being an adult is tough.
6. Managing Your Finances
I’m financially
independent, which sounds accomplished, but it actually means that I choose to buy pointless tchotchkes instead of vegetables. So I’m eating a lot of cereal these days. Seeing a bill appear in my inbox, whether it’s for my cell phone or the dreaded semester tuition, makes my
heart skip a beat and sends me scavenging for loose change in the couch cushions in the lounge. Kidding! (But that doesn’t sound
too bad…).
7. Cafeteria Food
Different colleges have different food suppliers, but I’ve never met anyone who loved their campus cafeterias. I’ve heard horror stories about consumers finding bugs, mold, and other gross additions to their meals, and that
enough makes me
sick, and scared for my health. It’s hard enough to find healthy options, and when your salad is almost entirely just lettuce, lunch time becomes depressing. I can’t always eat at the
Starbucks on campus. As much as I love those breakfast sandwiches, a meal they do not make. Does your school have a campus dining complaints page? Some of the stories and pictures on there will shake you to your core.
8. Grad School
Maybe you just started your first year, or you’re planning on
graduating this December. Either way, grad school scares you. Where are you going? What will you study? Will you get in? Not unlike the mask that haunted my childhood dreams, you don’t know what’s behind the next door. The unknown is scary. Applying for your Bachelor’s was bad enough. Now, law school, med school, and Master’s programs seem overwhelming and daunting.
9. Seeing Your Bad Tinder Date on Campus
The word “ghost” has a brand new connotation on the college campus. Let’s be honest, who hasn’t been attracted to the appeal of swiping left and right on the hundred potential suitors that present themselves on your phone? But after you spend a few weeks
talking, and eventually agreeing to meet up, they’re not quite who you think they are, and the date is a flop. So you ghost them (disappear without a trace and stop answering their messages). It might be immature to not be upfront about your unreciprocated feelings, but you have things to do. You’re busy, so you just stop answering. It’s not a crime. But you go to the same school so the fear of seeing them all over campus terrifies you, and when you actually run into them, well… it’s time to duck and run.
10. Class Registration
Class registration is a horrifying and stressful process. It’s a mix of a lot of questions. What am I taking? Am I on the right track? Will I graduate on time? Should I take an advanced foreign language course? (Answer: no.) Long lines at the registrar and advising office won’t help you keep your cool this season, and there’s not much that can be done if you have a really late enrollment date. Make sure you load up on second and third back-up plans if your golden schedule falls through, which it almost certainly will.So enjoy the jump-scares from Halloween horror movies, and feel the rush of that sugar high- the scariest part of your year hasn’t even begun.
Happy Halloween!
