The transition from high school to college is quick. There is no way to mentally prepare yourself for the lightning fast transition that is about to come that starts when you first move into your dorm. Everything changes - your friends, family dynamics, hygiene habits, and more. Along with that there is this magical way of thinking that you are almost required to have throughout college that everyone acquires sooner or later.
1.) Survival of the fattest
Whoever can grab the most slices of pizza from the dining hall or smuggle the most water bottles out of a council meeting wins at life. These are the people with the fool proof plans to never get caught. This special breed of student can work out any problem to have it resolve in their favor. This smuggle anything rule also applies to pens on the ground, the toilet paper cart in the hallway, and phone chargers left in the lounge.
2.) Trust is universal
There is also the other way of getting what you need: trusting anyone. Personally, I have gotten 11 cookies from a group of sorority girls at a traffic light crosswalk. They needed to get rid of the cookies from their meeting that morning and I wanted cookies, no more questions asked. Win-win situation for everyone.
3.) A love-hate relationship with sleep
Suddenly there are no parents around to enforce when you should sleep! Then, you learn about all the great parties around and stay up every weekend until the sun rises. Pshhh who needs sleep, right? However learning to get sleep, because your body literally needs it to function, can come the hard way. For example, staying up late to watch the season premiere of American Horror Story then regretting it the next morning when you have to wake up at 6:30am. Sleep can be your best friend or worst enemy, choose wisely.
4.) Freedom for all
You are now able to control your entire schedule! Do not like afternoon classes? Take them all at 7:30am! Not a morning person? Honey, you can sleep in until your class starts at 3pm. All this freedom comes with a price though - you are able to skip class whenever you want. This may seem like a golden opportunity for you to go bowling with your friends instead of being in your general education classes, but you will soon regret it when you have a paper due Friday and an exam next week that you are not at all prepared for.
5.) Time management is relative
One week you may have nothing due so you are just gliding along having fun. Maybe going for a swim in the outdoor pool or binge watching your new Netflix addiction. However, guaranteed by next week you will have four papers due all on Tuesday, three exams on Friday, and suddenly you are failing eight classes even though you are only taking five. Along with this, you find yourself with only one more clean shirt, how fun. Time management will become your best friend. By prioritizing what needs to be done along with getting ahead in some classes can make your work load a lot easier. Good luck.
