I recently finished my first year of college, and honestly, it was absolutely nothing like I expected it to be. None of it was actually. That isn't to say that I didn't have a great experience, I did. I made amazing friends, met amazing people, and I participated in some amazing clubs and organizations. Granted, not everything went well. I had a few minor breakdowns, one of which included cutting my hair with a pair of scissors in front on my dorm room mirror. I messed up my sleep schedule in favor of studying, or hanging out with my newfound best friends. I even managed to convince myself that procrastination was okay because "I work better under pressure."
So yes, I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot of things the hard way, but my first year of college was a great experience overall. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But, for those of you who would not like to make my mistakes and end up experiencing some of the things that I experienced, I've compiled a list of 25 things that I learned in my freshman year of college.
1. High School Does Not Prepare You For College
There is no possible way that your high school can prepare you for any college. All colleges are different, and if high school wanted to prepare you for all of them, they'd have to change their whole curriculum in order to fit one that shows all of the different kinds of colleges that students attend. The most that an incoming freshman can do is try their best, take advantage of ALL of the extra help provided, and read your syllabuses. Seriously.
2. Parties Are Not As Fun As They Seem on TV
Being surrounded by a bunch of sweaty teenagers who can't seem to hold their alcohol seems like something that I should have left behind in high school... if I went to parties in high school. A rule that I learned at the few parties that I went to was if you're shorter than 5'4, stay with your taller buddy or you will get crushed.
3. Procrastination Is Not Your Friend
Nothing is worth the amount of stress that I experienced the night before a project was due and I hadn't even started it in favor of working on other things. Seriously, coming from an actual college student, procrastinating is a bad idea. I'm pretty sure that I can blame most of the stress that I felt on the fact that I had a knack for waiting until the last minute to do anything.
4. Don't Trust People So Easily
As a normally trusting person, this lesson hit me hard. It's easy to forget that sometimes the people that you meet do not care about anyone else's well-being. There are selfish and cruel people out there and my year would've been a lot better if I had been a little bit more cautious with the people I befriended.
5. Sometimes Giving Into Peer Pressure Isn't A Bad Thing
When you've spent six hours in your room studying for one subject or another and your friends want to go out -- do it. Sitting in the same spot, reading the same thing over and over for that long is unhealthy. Breaks are your friend, and you'll feel a lot better when you come back to studying afterwards.
6. Ask For Help
Sitting there and wallowing in self pity is not going to help anyone. There's no shame in asking for help, and there's always a place to go for help on a college campus. There are programs and people that can help you, so utilize them. You're not paying all that money for nothing.
7. Money Problems Are No Joke
I don't come from a particularly wealthy family -- if anything we're lower middle class -- but I never really experienced the feeling of having two dollars in the bank and desperately needing hygiene supplies. Save up before you go to college, you're parents are not always going to be there to give you that extra ten bucks.
8. Mental Health Days: You Need Them
When you feel like you're one giggle away from breaking into hysterical laughter, it's time to take a day off. This day doesn't have to be during the week, personally I spent my Saturdays lying in bed reading or playing video games.
9. Traveling Is The Best Stress Reliever
Put aside a weekend to go on a day trip of some kind. Bring some friends along for a hike in the wilderness or to comic book stores for free comic book day.
10. There Is No Room For Toxic People In Your Life
College is a place where you make the decisions, and one of the most important decisions you can make is cutting toxic people out of your life. How is keeping a person who makes you feel bad all the time going to help you succeed?
11. Don't Join Everything
When I first came to college, I had this giant urge to join everything that I could possibly join. Thankfully, I ignored this urge, but I watched many of my friends give into it. This is a terrible idea that will only end in you having to choose which clubs and teams you would stay in and which of them would have to go. A heartbreaking experience, I assure you.
12. Carry Pepper spray
Sadly, there are guys (and girls) out there that will try to take advantage of you. College seems to be a breeding ground for these kinds of people, so it's best to carry around some form of protection. Whether you're walking back to your dorm late at night from the library or from a party, better safe than sorry.
13. Those Rape Horror Stories You Hear Aren't Just Stories
Statistics show that one in five women will be raped while they attend college. I know two of them.
14. Subjects That You Excelled At in High School Are a lot Different In College
The curriculum is different, the subject matter is sometimes a little different. It's important to take everything that your professor teaches you and treat is as if it's the first time you've taken the subject. Work hard, even if you think that you already know the information.
15. Grades Aren't Everything
There's no need to dwell on a bad grade. Move on, and try harder next time. Dwelling on your failures will not help you succeed.
16. Energy Drinks Are Your Best Friends
All-nighters are almost unavoidable. It's best to be prepared for the morning after.
17. Check Your School Email
Your professors will send you emails and they will be time sensitive. Check your email at least three times daily to avoid any possible consequences.
18. Your Comfort Zone Is Meant To Expand
Professors and classmates will push you to your limits, but only to help you better yourself and prepare for your future. Not everything you'll encounter within your chosen career will be within your comfort zone, so it's good to get used to expanding it now.
19. Take Risks
A risk not taken is often a missed opportunity to experience or do something amazing.
20. Study
Gone are the days where you didn't have to study in order to get an A. This is the big league, and you have no room for strikes.
21. Never Trust A Label
I learned this lesson when taking down my cork board that specifically said that it was dorm room friendly. Needless to say, I now owe a fine due to the wonderful new tear in the drywall.
22. Storage Bins Are Amazing
You can use them to store your stuff, and TRANSPORT your stuff!
23. It Pays To Have Snacks On Hand
Lunch will not always be an option with your busy schedule, so be prepared for a meal of crackers and peanut butter at three in the afternoon.
24. Sleep Is Not For The Weak
If you need to catch up on some sleep, do it. It's not worth getting yelled at in the middle of class for passing out on your desk.
25. Horizons Are Meant To Be Broadened
You will meet different people from different places with different backgrounds and different opinions. Learn from them.
