Going to college is a huge deal. It is life changing. Yes because you are about to embark on some of the greatest and hardest four years of your life- but also because you are expected to pack your whole life up and move into a room that is the size of a nice walk in closet. Here are some things that I wish I had known as I headed off to my dream school in the warm September of my freshman year.
1. The shoes
Your mom told you, the “Going to college: What to NOT Pack” articles told you, and even your gut told you. But you didn’t listen and you still took all 33 pairs of shoes to college with you. You thought you’d honestly need all your shoes (rainy day boots, cute date night sandals, work-out shoes, and the one pair of Sperry’s you wear 24/7 plus 29 more pairs). But in reality, you only wore six pair for one whole semester. Mom is always right, duh. Plus, the bins piled full of shoes and stuffed in the back of your dad’s stereotypical SUV did look kind of ridiculous on move-in day…
2. The Vacuum
It may stay in your closet, it may get used daily, it may even have not been on your packing list. Either way I am telling you straight up that vacuuming you dorm room can turn a blah day into a yay day. And I know you're like, “Emily, you are nuts,” but guys, seriously, there is no better simple joy than having a clean, tidy, and freshly Dirt-Devil vacuumed room. Trust me!
3. The Dining Hall
If you go to a small private school like I do, there is only one dining hall. When you visited the college, you may have been pretty impressed with the selection and taste. But things change, and soon you resort to either the salad bar or the cereal every time you eat due to lack of “good” choices. It is what it is… I mean, sometimes on a Tuesday it would be pancake bar day (which is fabulous), but other times, you just have to go with the flow and be unimpressed by the dry chicken. In reality, you have food. Some people don’t have near the food you do. Stay blessed.
4. The Stapler
There is nothing to say here except if you’re a late night paper writer, the last thing you want to do is trek to the student union (OK, two-minute walk for me) to staple your eight-page paper on "Breaking Bad" at midnight. Plus, socks and Birkenstocks with P.J. shorts probably won’t get you any cute boys phone numbers.
5. Speaking Of The Cute Boys
I guess I always have high expectations? I know there are awesome, generous, fashionable men of God on our campus… but I haven’t met them yet. I thought I would meet some breakfast-food-loving-kinda-hipster-kinda-preppy-boy in Starbucks one day, but I never did. Besides, freshman year is for getting study habits down, adjusting to the college life, and finding groups or clubs you want to join. Oh, and also doing your own laundry.
6. The Little Weird Things
Your roommate snores really loudly sometimes. You call your parents just to see how their day was because you miss them -- and didn’t have any other excuse to call. You shower at 6 A.M. before you check you school e-mail, only to get back to your room and find out your 8 A.M. is canceled. You Facetime your dogs and feel no shame. You ask a boy to the Pacer’s game, he comes, you have a great time, you like like (like in third grade) like him, and then you find out a couple days later he is dating someone?? (It happens. I guess?) You find out that your best days are the ones where you carve out quite time for Jesus in the mornings. You decide that 11 P.M. on Thursday nights is best used for spontaneous C-club runs for ice cream with your best friends. You realize that Girl Power Pandora station is probably the best pump-up jams ever before going through recruitment or getting ready to go to a formal. And finally, you actually miss your little brother. Who knew?
