You know how just about every movie makes college seem glamorous? From the late nights at raging frat parties and endless amounts of unsupervised freedom, these movies do a wonderful job at making college seem glamorous. However, they never show you someone failing a test, experiencing their first meltdown in the library, or what it feels like to know you can't even afford a bag of Cheetos. My first year of college has been packed with all sorts of life lessons- both good and bad, big and small.
1. My mom is actually really great at cooking.
Seriously, if there’s one thing that I have realized, it’s that my previous 18 years of complaining about my mom’s cooking skills was a mistake. Now-a-days, I am lucky if I have time to make pasta. . . speaking of pasta, do I even have that in my pantry?
2. Sleep is key.
In high school, staying up all night for no apparent reason seemed like a great idea. Now? Not so much. I’ve got to have the energy to drag what little bit of self-confidence I have and my backpack across a campus that’s unbearably large
3. Being nice to people in class is actually really important
Odds are that one day, you’re going to have that professor that doesn’t post their lectures online. This means that when you “accidentally” sleep through your 8 a.m. class, you’re going to need someone to send you the notes; this is where being nice pays off.
4. It is perfectly okay to sleep through/skip a class
Just try not to make it a habit. Honestly, though, you’re going to have days where you are so tired that making yourself sit through a class that you’re going to doze off in anyway is not worth your time, nor your effort.
5. Eating by yourself is okay
I promise. I actually encourage it and recommend it because on most days, it is going to be some of the only alone time that you get. Plus you don’t have to worry about listening to someone else chew their food.
6. Just because you have known someone for the majority of your life does not mean that you know their cleanliness habits.
This is a big one. You might think that living with someone you know is a great idea, and it might be. . . until you start to realize that they never wash anything, never take out the trash and don’t clean up after themselves.
7. No one is too good for a tutor.
When you flunk your first test, you’ll blame it on the fact that you didn’t know what to expect or how you should study. However, when you’re holding your second failing grade in your hands, you’ll start re-thinking that coupon that was forced into your hand for 25% off tutoring.
8. Rain boots are actually a staple in your survival.
Sure, they’re loud and sometimes not so flattering when paired with your favorite running shorts, but no one likes sitting through an hour long lecture in general, and no one likes sitting through it with wet socks. Buy the boots.
9. Don’t get caught up in how glorious other people make their futures sound.
They only make engineering sound so great because they’re trying to convince not only you, but also themselves, that they didn’t make a bad decision. Also, remember that you don’t know about the phone calls that they probably also have with their moms about wanting to drop out.
10. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to go out every weekend.
A lot of people are going to throw “but it’s college” in your face to try to make themselves feel better about going out. And they’re right, it is college, and it’s also a $40,000+ investment. So there is nothing wrong with caring about that investment and trying to do your best, even if that means skipping out on bar hopping.
11. Everyone is having some sort of breakdown.
I promise you that you are not the only person wandering around campus with only $3 in your bank account and a box of stale pop-tarts in your room. Just because everyone seems to have their lives together, does not mean that they do. Fear not, you aren’t alone.
13) This is your chance to be whoever you want to be.
