It is a popular belief that going away to college is the mark of real independence for young adults. Think about it. As a college student, we are liberated from having to abide by the rules of our parents. We can have pizza everyday (although not recommended), stay up as late as we wish, and a majority of the time, class attendance is optional. But with great power comes great responsibility. Being way from home has taught me some important lessons that I could not have learned by not living in a college dorm.
Do not sleep all day.
Doing absolutely nothing except for going to class, napping, and watching Netflix all day is not only bad for your physical health, but for your mental health as well. Get yourself on a light workout schedule, even if it’s only 20 minutes a day. A college campus usually has its own gym facilities that are free for students. I recommend having your group hangouts involve a physical activity, whether it’s a pick-up game of soccer, tossing a Frisbee, mini golf, etc. Whatever the activity is, as long as it gets you out of that tiny dorm, will help boost your physical and mental health.
Get involved.
That enthusiastic tour guide from your first day at orientation was right. Being involved in a school organization is a great way to interact with like-minded individuals. The closest friends I have met in college, I had met through a school club. College is also where you get to broaden your horizons and try something new. Get out of your comfort zone. By being a part of a group, you can make connections with people, and your large campus will start to feel smaller.
No, pizza does not count as a vegetable.
Eating healthy is also a very important lesson I learned my first semester. They don’t call it the freshman fifteen for nothing. Your parents aren’t around to make sure you are getting a well-balanced meal; so it is up to you to make sure you are eating enough greens. At the dining hall, instead of reaching for that second burger, or that plate of fries, substitute it with an apple or a nice garden salad. Another lesson I learned was that eating out is the greatest weakness among college freshman. It’s not our fault Domino’s delivers until 3 a.m. Try restraining yourself when it comes to dining out. There are always more healthy options to choose from.
Actually do your chores.
Again, your parents aren’t there to watch over you. Keeping a tidy dorm room can help in a number of way. First, for those who have roommates, by cleaning up after yourself, it will prevent arguing with your roommate. Secondly, doing your laundry will give you clean underwear. Seriously, the longer it sits there the more it smells. Third, cleaning your dishes and utensils right after doing it will keep away ants, cockroaches and other insects, as well as weird smells (yes, smells again). Lastly, take out the garbage. Just do it. it’s really not that hard. There is a reason why your parents made you do chores at home. You need to do chores to live in a suitable environment and be functioning adult. Also, guests don’t really appreciate old ramen noodle smell.
Have a budget.
Between all the sweet deals on Amazon, student discounts, textbooks, classes, and, of course, Disney tickets, my first semester was filled with frivolous expenses. Creating a budget can help make sure you don’t go broke before midterms. Some advice I was given after my first semester made me more aware of how to keep my head above water. By living on a strict budget, you can learn how to limit your spending. Lay out how much you will be spending on your food, entertainment, and any other expenses for each month.
Never buy your textbooks from the bookstore.
We’ve heard it all before, “the bookstore has the lowest prices offered to college students”, “The book is only available here”, and my personal favorite “you’re going to be using this the whole semester” 10 times out of 10 the school bookstore has the highest prices available for students. You can rent and buy your textbooks from various sites for half or even eighty percent off the school’s asking price. I usually don't purchase my textbooks before looking at the syllabus or even before the first day of class. Every professor pretty much goes by their own rules when it comes to textbooks. A lot of your entry-level core classes will use the book constantly, but as you go into your elective courses and major requirements, your professor will probably stray away from the required texts.
This isn’t high school anymore.
In college, you really are on your own. College classes can become so large that having any connection with your professor is completely impossible if you do not put forth any effort. It is on you to stay on top of your assignments and actually study for exams. College professors are not required to give out a study guide, and vaguely skimming the textbook before an exam is never the best idea. Because the majority of the professors never take attendance, students have a tendency to not show up for class. By missing a class, you are missing out on important information about what is going to be on exams, papers, and quizzes. You will also miss urgent announcements that could affect you as a student. Plus, you’re the one who is paying for that class, so you might as well show up.
Noisy neighbors will be your personal hell.
College is a place for higher education and to rise above delinquent behavior. Well, at least that’s what it says on paper. Some will be lucky enough to not have to deal with loud neighbors during their first year, but not all of us can be so lucky. The dorm party is one of the most cliché things that goes on in a college campus. It will happen on any day of the week; even Tuesdays. I lived on what you would call the ‘party floor’ during the summer term. Most of my neighbors were either at the club every night, or cramming twenty people in their room for a get-together. Every night it would be non-stop running in the halls, drunken screaming, and loud club music until dawn. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in college and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Good luck!
Avoid all classes that start earlier than 10 A.M.
You would think after twelve years of waking up at the crack of dawn for school would have you prepared for the torture of the 8 a.m. class. No, absolutely not! The biggest mistake I had ever made in college was taking Philosophy at 8 o’clock in the morning on a Monday. I don’t know what it is about college kids, but our brains cannot physically function before 10 a.m. My theory is that after all those years of waking up before the sun rose to go to school has taken its toll on us and by college, our bodies are trying to catch up on the sleep we missed out on over the years. try your best to pick classes that start in the middle of the day. This way you get to sleep in and give your body enough rest before class.
You form a very loose meaning of the word ‘casual.
When you get more comfortable with college life, you will often begin to stray away from the nice clothes you wore during your first few weeks. Wearing pajamas to class is extremely common in the college classroom. I have seen students rocking the sweat pants, the messy buns, onesies, and even an inflatable dinosaur costume. In college, you ultimately stop caring about your appearance. We all have more stressful things to deal with than looking presentable for class. One of the best things about college is that no one is going to judge you for rolling out of bed and going to class in your pajamas. Wear whatever makes you comfortable. You're there to learn, not make a fashion statement.
My first semester at college was a real learning experience. I’m still learning as the semesters roll by. In college, you really start to grow into your own. You slowly stop worrying about what random people think about you and you begin to learn about who you are. College is all about learning and trying new things. I didn’t know what to expect about the college life when I first arrived, but through all of my mistakes and the lessons that I have learned I would not want to be anywhere else.
