Many of us have seen "Neighbors," "ACCEPTED," or "22 Jump Street," and from the looks of them, college is pretty epic. Endless parties, beautiful people, no sleep, cheap pizza, and vibrant nightlife make the experience seem too good to be true. With college orientations wrapping up around the country, millions of recent high school grads are packing up their lives and preparing to leave their parents’ homes in exchange for the college life. Here are a few things that have stood out to me during the first two years of my college experience at a Big Ten University.
1) You’re probably going to fail a test... Or two, or three, or maybe all of them
I’ve spoken with so many people who studied for a couple days, which was way more than they did in high school, went into the test feeling relatively confident, even left the test feeling alright, only to get their score back and see a glaring 38%. Try not to panic. It took me an entire semester to figure out which study methods were the most appropriate for my learning style. Professors are genuinely understanding and do not want you to fail their courses. Start preparing early, ask for help when you need it, reach out to your peers, and you’ll get the hang of it in no time. One exam doesn’t define your GPA (hopefully).
2) You will learn more about yourself than you knew there was to learn
For the first time, you are able to choose exactly who you want to hang out with. There are over 30,000 students at my university and I’m not forced to interact with any of them, which gives me the liberty to choose who I surround myself with. You quickly see what traits you like in other people and even more quickly see what you don’t like, and through this, you understand yourself with more clarity. You are a product of the five people you spend the most time with, so choose wisely.
3) Which, speaking of friends...
In the first few days after move in you will meet way too many people. Every conversation usually goes like this.: “Hi I’m _____! Where are you from? What’s your major?” At this point, you will have forgotten their name. Repeat 115x daily. I think there’s a really big misconception that people go to college and meet all of these new people and create lasting friendships with all of them and that’s simply untrue. This usually leads to some loneliness later in the year because realistically you’ll end up with two or three close friends but you will come to appreciate this eventually. It’s great to branch out and get involved with many groups of people, but don’t think there’s a problem with you if you have trouble meeting a best friend right away.
4) You won’t be a pre-med major anymore by the end of year two
It’s not because you aren’t smart enough, and of course some people will still be, but the vast majority of students change their majors because while you’re out here finding yourself, you’ll probably uncover a new passion along the way. Do not be afraid to follow a dream. Don’t be afraid of disappointing mom and dad, they’ll love you doctor or not. I went into college as a pre-dental major but switched to journalism and sports studies by the end of the first semester. My grades were fine but I was busting my butt to do something I couldn’t give a clear answer as to why I was doing it. It is so much easier to be successful in school when you are studying something you love.
5) College is the best time of your life to be selfish
Everything you do in college should be for yourself. It’s great to want to make your family proud, but don’t forget about the self- satisfaction of success, too. Take a wild internship 800 miles away, go out one night that you probably shouldn’t don’t be afraid to break a heart, college truly is a perfect platform to pursue your personal dreams and goals and happiness.
