College. There’s a time to let loose, a time to study hard, and always time to be yourself. Here, however, “yourself” is replaced by my good friend and frequent mirror image, Liz Lemon. Liz helps explain our thoughts and verbal musings that we face as college students because, as it turns out, the twists and turns college brings are often better explained by a middle-aged woman.

First come the naïve, ignorant pleas that all high schoolers have. They see the glamorized college life and dream of being unchained from their high school prison sentence.

What they don’t see is the struggle bus each of us rides to class, through class, after class, and before class again.

Because, while college can be great, it can also be filled with four tests, two quizzes, one paper, and three group projects due the next day; the pressure that comes with knowing you might actually have to remember class teachings for a future career; and lots of big life decisions that you ultimately have to make. This lifestyle may mean that you have to pull a few all-nighters to get everything finished that you need to. It’s okay; it happens.

Once you get to college, you are once again at the bottom of the food chain, looked upon by upper-classmen as if you’re still a high schooler.

Classes start, and you try to figure out a nice groove. At first, it doesn’t seem so bad. You think you may even be really good at this whole college thing.

Then, however, college gets real.

In the midst of hectic schedules and daydreams of home-cooked meals, it seems that your greatest and most loyal confidant is the food that knows you better than you know yourself. Has food ever steered you wrong?

They say late night pizza orders are one of the biggest causes of the “freshman 15.” What they don’t say is how many of us care. (There’s a reason we keep ordering those large Hawaiian pizzas!)

But, no matter how much we try to fill our voids with food, there comes a time when every college student has to try to make new friends. After parting ways with your best friends who chose different schools, it dawns on you that you might not actually remember how to make new friends at all. You try to remember how one acts in society and pray that you can find some other oddballs to befriend.

It now seems that every human being goes to the Rec Center when just a few weeks ago you were sure you all had a pact together to never work out.

You realize that your age group has suddenly developed the ability to stay up hours past your bedtime.

And you face another horror: as college students do, you go out for a ~wild~ night after you’ve made some friends. Only it seems that it’s been forever since you did this, and you’re a little rusty.

Eventually, you may get the hang of things. Or, you could be awkwardly hopeless in the flirting department and rejoice every time you successfully communicate with the opposite sex (no shame).

You realize that for all the years you’ve been alive, you’ve overlooked the mysteries of post-college life that seem to be so glamorous now.

However, the reality is that in order to find your place and get involved on campus, you have to join some organizations.

Sometimes, you face rejection.

Other times, you face an overwhelming sense of over-extension due to a hyperbolic overestimate of your capabilities.

And yet, sometimes, the stars align, and (against all odds) college miraculously brings you a good day.