I feel like I've grown a lot during these last few months. Being in this new setting has taught me so much about myself, and I've learned a lot about life and a lot of valuable skills. Here are 16 of the things that I've learned about college.
1. It takes a while to settle in.
You hear about this a lot but never really expect it to happen to you. When you think of college, you think of new friends and late nights and fun adventures, and those do come, but it takes time. Seeing people’s social media posts makes it seem like everyone is settled right away, but there’s an adjustment period for everyone, and odds are they feel the same discouragement as you may.
2. You get really good at small talk.
You meet a lot of people in the first few months of college, and sometimes it can be awkward at first, but you catch on real fast to the art of small talk, and it becomes almost like second nature. Which is good because it makes everything a lot less painful.
3. I still don't know how to study.
In high school, I thought I knew how to study because I got good grades, but I realized that’s because high school was ridiculously easy compared to college. I realized how terrible I am at time management and how much I have no idea how to study. I literally did nothing in high school. Completing my first finals showed me this even more because I am clueless about how to study well.
4. Creativity is key.
College is all about creativity. We have such limited resources, space and money, so we have to invent new solutions. The other night, it snowed at my school, and since none of us had gloves, we wore socks covered with plastic bags and sled down a hill on plastic lids.
5. It's okay to be alone sometimes.
When you’re living in such a small space with so many other people around all the time, it’s important to spend some time by yourself. Sometimes it’s the only thing that will stop me from going insane. And it’s not weird to go eat lunch alone or go to the store or library by yourself. Getting to know yourself and being independent is a good thing, and it’s part of what college is for.
6. Skipping class isn't fun anymore.
My floormates calculated that you’re paying about $54 per class (at George Fox University), so anytime you miss class you’re basically throwing $54 away. In high school, skipping class was fun, and you didn’t really miss anything, but in college you miss important things in class, and it’s so much more stressful.
7. You make friends with so many different people.
Living with other people kind of forces you to become friends with them, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve gotten to know so many cool people that I probably wouldn’t have become friends with otherwise.
8. Keep your door open!
This is a simple thing, but it makes all the difference. Whenever I leave my door open, people will always stop by and say hi or hang out for a while, and it’s so much fun to have the ability to talk to people whenever and just have good conversations and talk about your day.
9. Messy rooms are annoying now.
I never used to care if my room was messy. I was always too lazy to clean it, and it would just pile up, but it wouldn’t bug me. Since dorm rooms are so small and the space is so limited, a small mess makes a huge difference. When my room is messy, I feel so disorganized and can’t be productive. I clean my room at least once a week now, and it is always so satisfying.
10.There is so much compromising!
No matter who your roommate is, there’s going to be a lot of compromising. Whether it’s keeping the lights on longer, taking the trash out or the noise level, you’re going to have to concede on a lot of things, and it can be hard but is an important life skill.
11. Sleep is precious.
If I go to bed before midnight, it’s an accomplishment; I’ve pulled multiple all-nighters; I take naps at least three times a week, but they’re always much too short. Getting sleep is such a struggle in college because there’s so much to do and not enough hours in a day. Never underestimate the valuableness of sleep because college students are tired 24/7.
12.The little things make all the difference.
The littlest things make such big differences. When a class is canceled or assignments are postponed, a hall-mate takes you to Dutch Bros, or you see a dog, it can make your whole week!
13. Your roommate knows way too much about you.
Even if you’re not close with your roommate, it’s hard for them not to know everything about you. You live so close to each other that they know about your friends and family, your habits and routines, and everything else. They know what bugs you and what you like, and it’s such a weird relationship, but it works somehow.
14. Professors are much more relaxed than high school teachers make them out to be.
In high school, I would always hear, “In college your professors won’t be so easy on you,” but a majority of my professors are super chill and understanding about assignments and things that come up, and they're all really nice and funny people.
15. Freedom is a blessing and a curse (but mostly a blessing).
Independence is great because you can go to McDonald’s at 2 am and sleep in until noon, but also you have to fend for yourself, and you have to keep yourself in line all the time. I have no idea how to be an adult, but I guess this is as good a time as any to learn.
16. College is basically just taking repeated L’s, but it’s also really great somehow.
Not gonna lie, college in general is a struggle, but in a way that it’s funny somehow. Being a college student can feel like you're in an uphill battle, but we’re all in it together, and college is so much fun.
