Everyone enters college with set expectations for the next four or so years.
These expectations are sometimes realistic, but most of the time life will happen and what you once thought would happen does not go according to plan. Although the unplanned moments are not necessarily bad, they can unsettle us.
After surveying friends and family, these are the following 30 things that people wish they were told to expect before going to college.
1. There will be moments when you want to be surrounded by your friends and other times when the idea of being around people all the time is suffocating.
2. How much I was going to miss out by working full-time.
3. You miss out on a lot of fun when you go home on the weekend.
4. Come in with a major even if you don’t think that you will stick with it.
5. Reach for the stars and apply everywhere.
6. Making new friends was a lot harder than it looks.
7. I would be homesick.
8. Having your heart set on one place doesn’t mean it’s truly best for you.
9. How much free time I would actually have because I never really got as involved or did as many things as I could have.
10. How much of a pain registration is every semester.
11. Sometimes people just aren't going to respect you, and when you recognize that, don't try to make those people have respect for you. Just walk away.
12. You’re not going to meet your future spouse.
13. Care about people more than you care about your GPA.
14. Take care of yourself mentally and physically, and don't be afraid to admit you're struggling.
15. Your friends will change as the semesters go by, but with time you will learn more about yourself and who you'd like to spend time with.
16. I wish my mother had told me that I would have to work harder than I've ever had to work in my life.
17. The majority of the people that I surrounded myself with for the first month or so of school wouldn't be the friends that I was excited to see again after winter break.
18. I wish someone would have told me what good study habits were.
19. Experiencing anxiety is normal and getting a counselor to talk about it is OK and encouraged.
20. Everywhere but the bookstore is cheaper.
21. Chegg is a life-saver and is a great resource.
22. Find a good mentor; they can change your college career.
23. How to do laundry; somehow I missed that one until freshman year.
24. You need to balance academics and social life, but choose to study over the party when needed.
25. Freshman year is going to be awkward, just accept it.
26. College is just a short transitionary period before you really begin your adulthood.
27. I knew nothing about upperclassmen introducing themselves to freshmen before orientation even started. I was leery and suspicious of this guy's motives and blew him off altogether when he might have been someone who really could have helped me.
28. Cherish every moment because what's vital is not only your grades, but documenting moments.
29. Don’t make friends to say you have them. Instead, really try to find the people that you just fit with and have similar interests.
30. I wish someone told me to take more risks and it's OK if you make mistakes.
