As high schools seniors are finishing their applications and deciding which university is their top choice and which one is a back up, it is also important to understand the realities of university life. They say that college is like high school except for the kids skateboarding to class, the spaghetti straps, and the fact that you can probably bring a plate of dinner to class and no one would say anything. But, if a high school senior were to ask me about what college is truly like, I would start by debunking all of the strange myths that revolve around its mystery.
1. You will meet your soulmate
You might have a quick hookup or a few lovers during your four years at college, but according to a Facebook Data Science study done in 2013, only 28% of married graduates attended the same exact college as their spouse. Considering the fact that the study only studied graduated, married Facebook users, this 28% seems very small compared to the entire population. There is a huge misconception that when you go away to college, you will find your soulmate, but according to the statistics that isn't as likely as people have said.
2. You're going to be partying every night
You've seen it on television shows and in widely popular movies where college students seem to be partying all day and all night, but to keep up with good grades and extra curricular activities, that is not a realistic image. You may go out partying every weekend, but you don't party so much so that you'd have to skip class to recover from a hangover or fail an exam because you were drunk the night before. It is true that these mistakes happen occasionally, but most college students know the risks of partying way too much—especially when they look at how much each class is costing them.
3. You can sleep and text in class
There are laid back professors that talk to you like a friend and there are really tough professors who don't curve grades, but it is likely that either one will be against texting or sleeping in class.There is always going to be that one professor who doesn't really care about students using phones or sleeping since we are the ones spending money to be there, but many professors really do care. They have spent years and years getting a higher level degree and they want to be respected by their students. Most professors will either drop your grade or kick you out of the class.
4. It will teach you how to adult
For some college students, the experience can help them grow to new heights because they have to pay for college on their own or pay for housing on their own, but the university experience isn't actually that realistic to the "real world." You learn how to do a lot of things in college, but they don't really teach you how to pay for insurance or how to properly open a credit card so you don't get denied, or how to look for the perfect apartment. When you finally get to your final semester, it may seem like a lot to take in.
5. You will have a lot of free time
The idea that you have all of the free time in the world because you can pick when your classes are is the largest and most frustrating myth about college. Your first semester courses are the easiest to pick from because everyone has to do them so there are a lot of options, but as you progress, time options get smaller and smaller. Once you get to junior year, they only give a few times for the upper level courses and you are stuck having to take classes on all seperate days and times.