Before coming to Point Park University, I had so many things in mind about what college life would be like. However, I am not alone when saying that it is NOT everything I expected.
1. You will miss your pets more than anything.
Throughout my three full weeks of college thus far, my dogs and cats have been the highlight of just about every conversation I have had. If you ask anyone I have met, they will know that I am a musical theatre major and that I have three dogs, three cats and one goldfish that I absolutely adore. I know for a fact that this is not a unique quirk about me. My roommate and I have this ongoing “tradition” of sending each other our puppy pictures every single day. She is one of many students at Point Park that think about their furry babies back at home. No matter how busy you get or how far you go, your pets will never lose that special place in your heart.
2. Your dorm room will only get smaller and hotter.
Coming straight to you from Lawrence Hall, land of the private bathrooms and no A/C, I can honestly say that our tiny, 1920’s, hotel dorm room has only gotten messy and, as Snapchat claims, above 80 degrees. As fun as it is during these hot summer nights, the Thayer kids are going to be quite jealous of us during the winter months when they are walking down the hall to go to the restroom in the middle of the night.
3. All of those clubs and activities you saw yourself doing just don’t all fit into your schedule, especially when you’d rather nap.
I don’t know about you, but I always saw myself participating in about 10 extracurricular clubs, every school event there was, 2 jobs, crewing everything COPA, AND getting straight A’s while having time to hang out with my friends. Frankly, I learned that I have some major prioritizing to do. Sometimes, staying in and studying is a much wiser decision than going to that party down in Village Park.
4. Chipotle becomes a lifestyle.
Your bank account will drain from all of the food you buy even though you have a food plan. You'll tell yourself you won't spend it, but you will. I came to college with almost $300 in my checking account, now I have about $60. Don’t go to Chipotle every night, it will ruin you. That is all.
5. Being homesick is normal, you aren’t the only one hiding in your room calling your parents.
If you thought leaving home would be easy, you are in most cases, wrong. In my personal experience, I have wanted to come home at least once a day. I miss my family, my friends, the smell of my house and the feeling of my own bed. College is great, don’t get me wrong, but it would sure be nice to see some familiar faces once in a while. I still have days that all I want to do is talk to my family all night.
6. Your high school teachers were not lying, your college professors won’t tell you when things are assigned online.
Remember in high school when your teachers would talk about college and how annoying it was? Well, big surprise, they were not kidding; In college, your professors can do whatever they want, even if that means assigning something for the next day, online. You have to be responsible enough to be on top of your schoolwork and actually check your email. I have seen a lot of students already falling behind because of this.
7. You will regret every cent you did not save back at home.
I can vaguely remember myself saying “what the heck” when spending $30 on mascara and $150 on amazon orders of boots that I wore once. If I could change anything about my spending habits in high school, I wouldn’t have had any. My life would not be as stressful right now, with student loans, if I had just put all of my money away in the bank.
8. You will have some kind of disaster.
My first week on my own, I discovered that I needed to learn the world of laundry. I went down to the laundry room (forgetting soap) and proceeded to soak my three loads of clothing in one washing machine. When it came time to actually dry them, I waited an hour and came back down to my clothes still wet. I then decided it would be fine to then just fold and put them away. All in all, I got in quite a bit of trouble when I had to redo ALL of my laundry the next day when my mom found out. This leads to my next lesson quite perfectly.
9. College is hard but not impossible. It's OK to seek help.
College is not a joke, it is HARD. You will spend nights just working on homework and only that. Waking up at 7 am five days a week is not a picnic either but you WILL get through it. Things will happen that make you want to just pack up and go home, however, you did not come here for it to be just like high school. If you get organized and stay on top of things, you will be okay, I promise. It’ll just take some determination. Stay inspired. There is a school counselor that will sit down and listen to your problems and help you organize yourself and your thoughts. You CAN do this.
10. Classes really are mandatory to attend.
And lastly, unlike popular belief of college life, here at Point Park University, classroom attendance is actually mandatory. Also, you should come to every class because you are paying for them anyways. Don’t fall behind and miss important information just because you chose to stay out too late the night before.
To wrap things up, I truly do love college life and am very passionate about my major and studies here at PPU. I have a lot more to learn and adjust to, but this is what I’ve got so far. Stay positive, stay energized, and stay motivated.
