As my freshman year of college comes to a close (scary how it flies by!), I have been doing some reflection about how much I have grown and changed in this short year. Here are some of the most important things I have discovered throughout my first year at the University of Delaware:
1. It's okay and very necessary to do stupid sh*t every once and a while.
How else are you going to learn, grow, and most importantly have interesting stories to tell people? 18-19 is prime age for messing up. Just please be careful not to be *too* stupid. I'd say keep the stupid at like a medium level.
2. It's okay to do your own thing.
You will quickly learn that in college, no one really cares what you're doing. Everyone is working towards their own goals and doing their own thing. It is 100% okay to eat alone, study alone, or just hang out by yourself. If anything, alone time is necessary amidst the hustle and bustle of college. Also, important side note: you will see people riding Razr scooters and doing weird sh*t around campus, and you will learn to just kinda accept it. We're all sleep deprived and just trying to get by -- it's funny what kinda stuff you can get away with in college.
3. Do not believe anyone who says that the boys are better in college.
This is a flat out lie. Unless you get super lucky, college boys are going to prove that they can be the absolute worst. Maybe even worse than high school boys. The only college guys I tolerate are the ones who I'm friends with (ily).
4. You're probably going to gain some weight; it's okay.
I always prided myself on being good at making healthy choices at home, but all of that quickly flew out the window when I went to college. When you're too lazy to walk across campus to pick up a meal, the cheap junk food stashed in your dorm is going to become your best friend.
5. Dorm life is both a blessing and a curse.
Honestly, living in a dorm is nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be. Sure, the showers can get kinda gross and sometimes you just want to sing really loudly without being judged by the people on the other side of your paper-thin dorm wall, but it's really what you make of it. I personally made my first college friends on my freshman floor and I am really thankful for the community that dorm life gave me. Just give it a chance, people.
6. You don't have to go out every weekend to have fun.
Sure, going out and partying is fun, but I can't be the only one who gets burned out easily from the frat-party culture. Sometimes staying in and eating ice cream with your friends is the way to go, and that's totally okay.
7. Your professors do not care if you pass or not.
The sad truth about making the transition from high school to college is that in college, you are no longer being babied and having your grades monitored by your teachers. Quite frankly, your professors don't care if you fail. It's likely that they don't even know your name. In order to succeed, you need to find your own motivation.
8. You're gonna have the time of your life.
I hope this article didn't scare people away from going to college; while there are some hard parts of being a college student, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. You are going to have so much fun and learn so much about yourself. Go kill it out there.
