As people are applying and getting accepted to colleges, most high schoolers are yearning to get out of their hometown (or at least high school) and become more independent by heading off to school. Everyone says that college is the best 4 years of your life, so who wouldn’t be excited to get there? You get that nervous/excited feeling in the pit of your stomach as you head off to restart at your college. You get to campus, meet your roommate who you hopefully get along with, but then what? From there you are on your own to deal with life as it comes flying at your face.
These are some things that I learned during my four years at college that no one tells you before you go:
1. You Might Not Find Your Friend Group The First Semester Of College
The first semester can be brutal with many crying phone calls to your parents or your high school friends. It does get better once you find your niche and finally feel like you know what everyone meant when they said how amazing college is.
2. College Is HARD
Yes you probably knew this going in, but once you are there you get a wake up call that, yes, you actually have to study to pass a test. You can’t skip a ton of classes and figure that you will still get an A in the class. Especially your junior and senior years of college, the most you see your friends is probably in the library.
3. Not Joining A Sorority Or Fraternity Is NOT The End Of The World
Even if you join a sorority or fraternity, it doesn't mean that you will always feel understood, have a ton of friends, and have the best social life throughout college. A popular saying that many come to find true in a large group of people is that there is nothing worse than feeling alone in a crowded room. Sometimes this is what it feels like when you’re in one of these organizations. It can feel like you are stuck and life is still happening all around you. I am not trying to say that sororities and fraternities are all bad, because they are not. They can make you feel at home and oh so loved during your college years, but aren't a magical fix.
4. There Can Still Be Petty High School Drama
Maybe, just not as much as in high school. It can come from out of nowhere or from that friend that has the maturity of a high school student. It feels like a sucker punch because you haven’t had to deal with this issue since...well, since high school. All types of relationships take work, so there will be friend group drama or issues with your significant other. Going to college does not mean that everyone took a maturity pill and will suddenly be completely rational all the time.
5. College Friendships Don't Always Last Forever
You might not have the same friend group throughout college. Even if you do, that doesn’t mean y’all will all be close once everyone graduates. The memes, Instagram photos, and your older friends' college stories make it seem like everyone in college finds a tight knit group of friends that are your ride or dies until far after graduation. Some people do find this, and it's awesome to feel like you have family in a group of friends. One of the things that sucks the most is graduating college, moving back home or to a new city, and feeling like you have no friends because you aren’t as close to your ones in college and you just left the largest pool of people your own age that you will ever encounter again. On the other hand, you can find life long friends in college that makes it feel like you never graduated. The reunion trips are constant and you Skype with the group weekly. If this doesn’t happen to you, don’t feel alone.
6. Getting a Job Right After You Graduate is Not a Guarantee
Yes, going to college makes you a better candidate for jobs, but it can still be hard to find your dream job, or any job, right after college. Persistence and patience will help you with this process, and just knowing that not everyone has a job before they graduate can help you through this process.
I know I learned so much more during college. Some completely random things like group projects are the worst and trying to sneak a dog into your freshman dorm is actually easier than it seems...just don’t have it there for more than a day or two. College is all about learning, and not just in the classroom. This place allows you to experience intense friendships and to bond over school spirit. It shows you how communities can come together over almost anything. It allows you to grow as an individual while still surrounded by people who support you. College is so much more than the classes that you attend (but they are still import, so go to class). Half of it is learning more about the world, the people around you, and growing into an adult. That may be the scariest part about college: that once you graduate, you are expected to be a full fledge adult.
