Going to college is full of daunting changes that have been murmured around high school hallways for decades. From the "Freshman 15" to the inevitable sharp decline in hours slept weekly, these fears hang over the heads of all freshmen as they enter their first year in the jungle that is college. However, some of the most prominent adjustments from high school to college life are the ones you never saw coming. Those insignificant parts of daily life in high school end up being some of the things that are hardest to live without in college.
1. Reminders of due dates and assignments with clear instructions.
Sayonara to constant reminders from teachers about upcoming exams and projects being due. Being reminded of an exam two days before by a classmate is unfortunately not uncommon in college life and adds a whole new definition to the word "stress."
2. Not using headphones 24/7.
While this may seem insignificant, I can safely say I forgot the luxury of being able to listen to music or watch TV in my own room without headphones until returning home for a weekend.
3. Not having to give a full backdrop to tell a funny story.
"OMG funny story wait you don't know them um okay so I've been best friends with Claire since I was like 7 she goes to UMich now cuz her whole family has always gone there but anyways so Claire is like this really crazy girl right and -"
Not only does this elongate the process of telling the story ten-fold, but it's also just a creepy reminder of how much you know about people from home that you don't realize.
4. Eating meals with actual nutritional value.
Breakfast? Redbull
Lunch? Easy Mac.
Dinner? Ramen
5. Showering with no shoes on.
Seriously. It's really annoying.
6. Not being sick all the time.
Being surrounded by new people, oozing new germs everywhere, in somewhat unsanitary environment like parties and sporting events is bound to lead to you getting sick pretty frequently. When Emergen-C becomes a staple part of your morning routine, you know you have a problem.
7. Having people looking out for you and your well-being.
Gone are the days of mom noticing a slight cough and giving you some medicine or a teacher commenting on a decline exam performance and offering some extra help. While it may have seemed annoying at the time to be monitored by other people, not having others looking out for you when you are struggling and helping you deal with that situation is easily one of the hardest adjustments from high school to college.
8. Not paying $500 a semester for textbooks.
That pre-calculus textbook you were given at the beginning of the year and draw doodles on during class? That thing is worth WAY more than you realize and before you know it, you'll be paying for them out of pocket instead of receiving it for free on the first day of school and "storing" it under your bed until the year is over.
9. Being around people you have known since elementary school
While getting away from this is the reason some people cannot wait to go to college, nothing makes you feel more safe and at home than being with people who know everything about what makes you, you.
