It's no exaggeration that Parks and Recreation is known for it's acerbic humor and occasional raunchy storylines. In a lot of ways, our friends over in Pawnee, Indiana experience a lot of the same things that college freshman do during their first semester attending a university. Here's 14 ways how.
1. Wearing Your Newest, Coolest Clothes
My estimate is that this phase lasts about two weeks (three if you're determined) before you hopelessly and undoubtedly revert to wearing sweatpants and those free t-shirts you get during orientation week. Some people accept their fate and kick off the semester that way.
2. Eating on Campus
Exposure to a daily buffet-style meal plan will crack even the healthiest of fitness bunnies and jocks. Part of the reason why you start wearing sweatpants after a few weeks; your jeans will become uncomfortably tight.
3. Making New Friends And Doing Fun Things
College is where most people make their lifelong friends. I made my core friend group by the end of the first week by being adventurous and partying a bit. Speaking of...
4. Mass Alcohol Consumption
It's amazing how college can turn the even most mild-mannered individuals into ravaging alcohol monsters, and current ravaging alcohol monsters into full-blown alcoholics. Making friends with older kids will work wonders on a person.
5. Your First Big Hangover
For a lot of you, college was/will be the first opportunity for you to drink, sometimes so much that you blackout and regret everything when the migraines hit, and you feel like Death is sliding his spindly fingers over your stomach
6. When College Hits You Like A Bag Of Bricks
You wake up one day in late September, or early October, and the threat of midterms is rapidly approaching and you spent the entire first month partying and you don't know what to do. Panic/Regret ensues.
7. Group Projects
Your first experience working with others on a group project is usually just a prolonged clash of teammates who all think that just because this is their "first big college project" means that they're going to monopolize it.
8. Giving Your First College Speech/Presentation
Giving a speech in high school = no problem
Giving a speech when it's 20% of your grade = Classic Jerry Moment
9. Sleep Patterns
Naps are a common occurrence and are to be expected. "Sleeping in" in college means that your 8 a.m. lecture got cancelled so you get to sleep an extra 30 minutes in order to go to your 9 a.m. lecture.
10. Trying To Hit A Word Count On An Essay
It's incredible what Thesaurus.com and a looming due date will do to your essay-writing abilities.
11. Meeting With Your Advisor To Plan Next Semester's Classes
For those of you that still have an undeclared major, or are having second thoughts about your current one, choosing the next semester's classes will not be fun, especially if you've run out of general credits to fulfill.
12. Finals
By this point you're likely regretting every bad choice that you made and every lecture that you skipped. Hotspots for students during this time: the library, the nearest coffee shop, and any chair or staircase that they can sob on.
13. Recovering From Finals
Whether of not you did well, you likely had your own way of coping with the stress. For some, old habits die hard.
14. Finishing Your First Semester
It's December, and if you're lucky, you get to go home and relax for the holidays. You just survived your first semester at college! Time to celebrate. One down, about seven more to go. Good luck!
