Everyone goes off to college thinking they know what's going to happen. They'll make some friends, go to some parties, and get a degree that will promise them a job 4 years later.
This isn't always true.
College did not meet my expectations, but that's okay. It changed my outlook on life instead. So, here are just five of the things that I wish I knew before I started my college career.
1: Your friend circles will change.
Naively, I figured that my best friends from high school would be the same ones that I would have all throughout college. I was drastically wrong. I barely even talk to the people I knew in high school. My former best friend doesn't even wish me happy birthday anymore. It took a mutual friend to even find out they were engaged this past year. However, this is okay.
Not everyone will lose friends. I know some people whose best friend is the same person they knew in elementary school, and that's okay, too. You will make new friends that may be even better than the old ones. What will always change though is how many friends you have.
By the end of college, you may have a lot more acquaintances than friends. You may have strengthened relationships, or you may have lost some. You will have lost and gained people in your life, but the friends you have after school will be some of the best you'll ever know. They went through all the struggles of college with you, and they understand your struggles right out.
2: Getting your degree does not promise you a job right away.
It's been almost 5 months now after spending 5 years to get that blasted piece of paper, and I don't even have a job at Walmart. It seems like I am either over-qualified for small jobs, or I am still not qualified enough for the ones that I actually want. I put in at least 3-4 applications a week for both menial jobs that most high school students have and for career building positions for things that I actually want to pursue.
Having your degree does not mean that everyone automatically wants to hire you, but I have come to accept this. I am still trying to find something worth my while. I've had interviews. I have had phone calls, but your degree does not promise you a job. It just makes it a different sort of hunt.
3: You don't have to be invited or go to parties to have a good time.
I have never been a party person. I am an extroverted introvert. I enjoy being around people, but I get my energy back by being by myself in a relaxing atmosphere. Social interactions tire me, but that is okay.
I was only ever invited to a party once in college. I was super excited to be included, and I thought I was finally going to do what every college kid is born to do. I was going to get my groove on. Yeah. Nope!
I walked down the street to the house where the party was. I walked into said house to see no one that I knew. I looked around the house for a bit. I drank a few beers only to remember that I hated beer, and I promptly turned around and walked back to campus. It had only been an hour, and I wasn't having very much fun even though the friend that invited me had shown up.
I didn't want to get drunk and risk being taken advantage of, and I really didn't care if I was known as the girl who didn't like parties. I just wanted to go back to my room and watch some movies. I had more fun after I got back.
The next day, I got involved with a few clubs, and I found myself having way more fun than I was even at the idea of going to another party. Which, this leads me to my next number.
4: Get INVOLVED!
I cannot stress it enough. Unless all you want to do is drink and party, you need to get involved on campus to fight boredom. My freshman year I had joined 5 clubs. By my senior year, I was in 4 of those same clubs plus two more, and I was a Resident Assistant. I also had a love of Theatre, which still follows me to this day.
The more involved you are equals the less time you have to complain about there being nothing to do.
There is always something to do if you want there to be.
Now, lastly:
5: You are going to change.
It might not be drastically. You might not even know it happened, but you are going to change. You will have a different outlook on life. You will see things differently, and you will become more of who you truly are as a person now that the pressures of fitting in that we all had in high school are gone.
You might have changed for the better or worse. The reasons you changed may have been good or bad, but you will change no matter what. Your family will see it. Your friends will see it, and you know your significant other will see it. They just won't say anything unless it's something bad. You may never even know you changed at all unless you're hit by the freshman 15. Yes. It is a thing. Don't try to fight it.
In conclusion, yes. College will NOT be everything you expect it to be. It might actually end up being more. It may end up being less, and there will always be things you wish you knew beforehand. Now, go forth with your newfound knowledge and take a stab at something new. Take a swing towards the future. Do not be afraid to let yourself change.
Change will always happen even if you don't know it.
