College in itself is hard enough, so let me be the enhanced version of "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" and let you in on a few things you should know about college.
1. Watching 10 episodes of "Grey’s Anatomy" in one day is not the same as going to your Human Anatomy lecture.
I love Netflix (especially Grey's) as much as the next person, but make sure you're not letting your Netflix binges interfere with your school work. Take it from my past mistakes, sadly, watching "Grey's Anatomy" is not the same as going to your Human Anatomy lecture/lab. Shut that laptop, get out of bed, and make good choices.
2. There will always be another party.
I can't lie, you're going to want to go to every single party, because who doesn't love a good theme? But trust me, there will always be another party, whereas there won't always be another opportunity to get your GPA where it needs to be.
3. Yes, we can all hear you.
I'm only going to say this once. Closing your door or closing the shower curtain doesn't block out the noise of your sexual activity. The walls (especially in the residence halls) are very thin. So just know that EVERYONE can hear you.
4. It’s never “just one class."
The second you start to tell yourself "it's just one class, it's okay if I skip," you're going to have that mindset for the rest of the semester. Make sure that you tell yourself that every class/lecture is the most important one, and skipping any class could put you at risk for missing crucial information.
5. Your liver will hate you.
Your social life does a complete 180 once you go to college, so just know that the perfect and happy liver you once had no longer exists. Your liver is tarnished and it hates you with a burning passion. Just make sure you take periodic breaks from going out/drinking so you can give your immune system some time to catch up.
6. Visiting home will be the best/worst experience.
Going home is both fantastic and horrible. Pros: you get a home-cooked meal, you can sleep in a normal bed, your mom will do all of your laundry (for free), and you finally get the privacy of your own room and a non-communal bathroom. Cons: restaurants don't take flex dollars, you can't just leave the house whenever you want, no one is throwing parties, and worst of all: CURFEW.
7. You don’t NEED a boyfriend/girlfriend.
We all have that one friend that thinks they need a boyfriend or a girlfriend to have a good time. That's a load of crap. You don't need anyone but your best friends to show you a good time. Plus, who wants to be tied down in the beginning of college? This is your time to be free, have all kinds of new experiences, and truly find yourself. Don't waste your time trying to find someone else.
8. The freshman 15 is a real thing.
No, it's not a myth, the freshman 15 is a very real thing. If you have a gym near you, use it. If you don't, hit up Pinterest for some workout/circuit ideas you can do in your dorm room. You can't live on a diet of pasta, pizza, cookies, and ice cream and still stay in shape. Do yourself a favor, put down that breadstick, eat a salad, and then go for a jog.
9. You cannot wear your lanyard.
Wearing your lanyard around your neck like it's a chain or a necklace is the number one sign that you're a freshman, so don't do it. Everyone WILL make fun of you.
10. You need to stay organized.
The second you start to lose track of what you have going on, you will fall behind. The second you fall behind, it becomes harder to stay on track or even catch up. Label your binders/spirals and get yourself a calendar, or you will forget something.
Like I said, these are just a few things that will help you survive college, so make sure you befriend an upperclassman so they can help you through.
