College is radically different from high school. Whether you’re living on campus or staying at home, you’re going to notice a huge change immediately after you start college. In my opinion, the first semester you spend at college is the time when you learn the most. You’re figuring out who you are and how you fit in to your school, as well as how to fit into the real world. I learned a lot of valuable lessons during my first semester, and I thought I’d share them.
1. Literally no one cares if you’re sitting alone in the dining hall:
One of the most humiliating things that could happen to you in high school is having to sit alone in the cafeteria. Everyone’s looking at you, and you feel like there’s nothing more mortifying than not having anyone to sit with at lunch. In college, no one cares whatsoever. Everyone has class at different times, everyone wakes up on their own schedule, and everyone has their own things going on. You’ve got to eat, so sitting alone in the dining hall isn’t a big deal. No one will judge you for that in college.
2. You don’t have to hang out with anyone you don’t want to hang out with:
In high school you don’t exactly have the largest pool of friends to choose from. If you went to a big high school like me, you might have gotten lucky, but in most cases, you’re pretty much friends with the people you’ve been in classes with. A lot of the time, you have the same friends that you did in elementary school. In college, however, you can be friends with whoever you want. You don’t like your roommate? Hang out with that girl from your biology lab. You don’t like your group for a project? Hang out with your actual friends after you meet with them. There’s (probably) tons of people in your college, so you have a larger group of people to choose from, and you’re not constrained to one specific group of people. Feel free to be a social butterfly!
3. You have to be an adult (kind of):
You may feel some sense of adulthood in high school when you get your driver’s license and have a little more freedom, but nothing can prepare you for the level of adulthood you’ll have to face in college. You can’t just get snacks from your mom’s pantry. There aren’t always paper towels in the cabinet or someone to do dishes for you. You have to buy your own food for when the dining hall’s closed, do your own laundry, and keep track of your own (increasingly busy and more complicated) schedule. While you’re still not a full-on adult, there are a lot of things you’re now responsible for that you may not have been in high school.
4. Drama is almost non-existent (again, kind of):
In high school, it’s really not hard to find drama. There’s always a backstabbing friend, a cheating boyfriend, or a new pregnancy scandal. But what you’ll find about college is that no one really cares what’s going on in your life. There might still be crazy friends and lying boyfriends, but it’s not gonna be a big scandal because of two reasons. First, colleges are usually too big for news to spread fast or for everyone to even know the people involved in a scandal. And secondly, everyone is to busy with their own lives to worry about anyone else’s. No one cares what anyone else is doing, which is refreshing.
5. A good group of friends is the most valuable thing you can have:
I was lucky enough to become friends with nearly everyone on my floor during my first semester. There were almost 20 of us, an almost-even mix between boys and girls, who hung out in the floor lounge every day, went to meals together, and spent pretty much every waking moment together. There was always someone to eat with, always someone to drive to Walmart, and always a floor to sleep on when your roommate took the room for the night. Friend groups like these are few and far between, so when you find one, hold on to it. I was fortunate enough to make friends during my first semester who I can keep (hopefully) for the rest of my life.
6. You don't have to be afraid to be who you are:
There’s always the looming fear of being judged in high school. Most of the time, you’re going to be in classes with the same people all throughout your school career until you graduate, so there’s no way to escape the judgment. But in college, no one is going to judge you for being who you are. And if they do, it’s really not hard to find a new group of friends.
7. Caring about school work is so much easier:
It’s not hard to coast through a class in high school and still get a good grade. A lot of the time, you can do well without studying or doing the work. In college, that’s not the case. You have to work hard for every grade. Also, you’re paying to be there, so you’re a lot more motivated to do well.
8. Your planner is your best friend:
Your schedule is always pretty solid in high school. You go to the same classes, have the same practices and meetings, and go to school at pretty much the same time every day. You don’t have much need for a planner. In college, however, your planner might as well be your Bible. I wouldn’t even consider going a day without mine.
9. Never again will you underestimate the value of a nap:
You definitely take naps in high school, but college naps are radically different. In high school, you can take a nap after classes and then wake up and get dinner. In college, you’ll take a nap at any chance you get. Have 10 minutes after lunch before your class starts? Might as well squeeze in a nap. Waiting for your friend in the library? You can always nap until they get there. You’re not super busy that night? Take a three hour nap before dinner and another one right after. There’s never a bad time to take a nap in college. College napping might as well be an Olympic sport.
10. Asking for help is the best thing you could do:
I was always reluctant in high school to raise my hand during class or see a teacher after school, because I always felt like a burden or like I was the only one who didn’t understand. In college, asking a question is necessary and encouraged. If you don’t completely understand the material, you might get left behind, and someone else probably has the same question as you. Also, professors are always waiting for someone to show up to their office hours and ask a question, and that person might as well be you.