I'm sure we'd all like to think we've made huge strides in maturity and poise since our days in kindergarten. But if there's one thing that my first semester at college has taught me, it's that, surprisingly, we have a lot more in common with our five-year-old selves than maybe ever before. Here are just some of the ways that college life is actually like kindergarten.
1. Food is the priority.
Snack time was hands down my favorite part of the day when I was younger. As we lined up, stomachs growling, anxiously awaiting our afternoon sustenance, I would always say a silent prayer that we got the snack bags of goldfish or potato chips instead of the yucky Nutrigrain bars or granola bars.
To be honest, not much has changed.
About 70% of my thoughts during the day revolve around answering the following question: where is my next meal coming from? Just like the good old days, I, along with everyone else in my lecture, always seem to be hunting down the closest vending machine to class, or taking along travel goldfish in case I get hungry.
2. Emotional breakdowns? I've seen plenty.
It's true. Much like the stereotypical temper tantrums that 5 and 6-year-olds are prone to (and that I personally witnessed nearly every day), it's pretty normal to see a fellow student break down sometimes, even in class. Between the stress of relationships, classes, jobs, and basically just learning how to 'adult' full-time, it's a lot to handle, and sometimes it feels good to let it out by kicking and screaming.
3. Napping once a day is a necessity.
Napping isn't a fun activity, it's a way of life. I don't know that I've met a single college student who wouldn't give their right arm for a few hours of sleep throughout the day. I know this is something I used to dread as a kid but now, my pillow is my best friend, and my noise-canceling headphones are a godsend. And just like my days wearing velcro shoes and learning how to write, if I don't get a solid two hours, you better look out!
4. We have surprisingly short attention spans.
It's not that our brains haven't developed past the age of 5, where something shiny or loud could draw our attention away from what we were doing, it's just that we're being constantly pulled in every direction that we probably come off as scatter-brained. But from classes and labs to responsibility in general, it's just a miracle we don't have two left shoes on every day of our lives.
5. We're broke... seriously broke.
It's a miracle that we scrounge up enough cash to pay for our daily Starbucks runs. It's just like in kindergarten when we were too young for allowances, only now we're too old and *supposedly* too independent. I for one would love to go back to the good old days of unloading dishwashers and vacuuming the carpet for an easy $10 a week.
6. Our personal hygiene isn't the best.
We've all been there: you have an 8:30 lecture that just happens to be on the opposite side of campus and you can't force yourself to have it all together. Even though we can't blame our parents for bathing and dressing us like we used to, choosing a few more minutes of sleep over a lukewarm shower in a smelly and hair-infested bathroom is a no-brainer. But instead of saying I'm sorry for the permanent rat's nest that has embedded itself in my scalp, I'll give you a piece of advice: sit upwind of me in the lecture hall if you want to save your nose.
7. We have no idea what we want to do with the rest of our lives.
It used to be so easy: when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would blurt out a pirate or a jockey without blinking. But today, while that question remains, the seriousness and importance of our answers have increased tenfold. To be honest, I still wish I could be a pirate- at least then I thought I knew what I was doing (Thanks, Johnny Depp).
8. We're figuring it all out.
Like learning to ride your bike without training wheels, this thing called life takes time. And while we'll certainly get bruised and scratched up along the way, we really are doing our best to figure it all out, and become the people we want to be, pirate or not.
We can't promise to know all the answers right away, but that doesn't mean we'll stop learning. After all, baby steps are better than no steps at all! So be patient with us, and don't stop helping us as we continue to grow. Wether it's from kindergarten to first grade, or college to the grown-up world, we are progressing, and we'll get there eventually.