Everyone tells you that college is hard, and you meet lots of other people with lots of different opinions, and it's sooooo much better than high school. All of these are true, but they don't fully capture the phenomenon that is college life. Here are my favorite unspoken (until now) changes that happen in college.
1. College Ingenuity
Whether it's using a Keurig to make ramen, attaching lights or a motor to your longboard or bike, or building a chariot to attach to the end of a bike, there is no doubt that laziness + free time = greatness. I can only take credit for the ramen noodle thing (you're welcome), but I have seen everything else. The motors and lights are pretty common, but I have only seen one chariot. I got the joy of seeing the chariot transform from a desk chair, into a side car, and into its final form of a chariot. I think it would be fun to ride, but that's not saying that I want to anytime soon.
2. You get excited about the weirdest stuff.
Not even kidding, last week, I got excited that we had a broom and dust pan. I was so excited that I swept out my room, then rearranged and cleaned my desk. Believe me when I tell you that that NEVER happens to me. I also got excited when I discovered that I could fit not one, but two whole pies on my keyboard drawer. That was a very good day for me.
3. You can relate to a lot of people you never actually talk to.
Whether someone is walking around with a squid hat blasting music, falling over a knee scooter with a boot on (this one was me), or a person in a gorilla costume chasing someone in a banana costume, it's easy to find at least one person to relate to, even if you never actually talk to him. A lot of times, I find myself muttering "same" to myself as I walk by people. People watching is the BEST on a college campus.
4. You don't have to spend too much (or any) money to have fun
If you don't have a car, your entertainment options decrease drastically. You have to find someone to take you and your friends places, or find ways to entertain yourselves within "walking distance." My friends and I had a sleepover in one of our rooms. Mind you, we all live on the same floor, most of us within 4 doors away. But we had a sleepover, because why not? If you thought the rooms were tiny, you should have seen one with 7 girls sleeping in it. Bring some movies, cards, and Purdueopoly and you're set for the weekend! The best thing is that if you forget something, it's right down the hall. Can't beat that logic.
5. Your idea of "walking distance" grows drastically.
At home, I don't really like walking for 5 minutes, let alone 20. But every day, I walk to and from academic campus for 20 minutes each way. Sometimes, I go to campus and back twice. The idea of walking over a mile to Panda express isn't really that daunting anymore because, A) come on, it's Panda! and B) it's really not that much farther than I normally walk.
6. You actually don't look like a loser if you eat alone.
In fact, most people that I talk to do. It's so nice to sit there, eat, and not have to talk to anyone. You don't have to feel bad about being on your phone. You don't have to do the panic-speed-chew that you know you do when someone asks you a question right as you take a bit of food. You can do homework. You can watch Netflix. You can read a book. You can just enjoy the silence that comes from being by yourself. It's pretty relaxing, really. I highly recommend trying it sometime.
