When I started my freshman year of college, I had so many expectations for what life would be like. I couldn’t wait to make tons of new friends, become a way better student, and start eating healthier. Little did I know…reality was much different.
1. Expectation: You’ll have a daily gym routine to avoid the freshman fifteen.
Reality: You’ll visit the gym maybe twice a month and gain the freshman twenty.
Odds are, the gym will be packed the first couple weeks with the “back to school” rush, and you’ll likely be in that. Once the hype settles down and the homework adds up, you’ll find that you don’t have the time or energy to workout daily.
2. Expectation: You’ll look nice for class every day, and everyone will compliment your great sense of style.
Reality: You’ll wear leggings daily and sometimes you’ll forget to brush your hair.
When you have early morning classes, you don’t have time to look cute. Plus, no one is going to notice your clothes even if you do because there are a hundred other girls in your class who also probably look nice. While you may dress cute more often than your upperclassman friends, you’ll find yourself wearing sweats more than ever.
3. Expectation: Every weekend you’ll hit up the best frats in your cutest outfits with your best friends and have the greatest time.
Reality: When you do go out, you’ll end up at some crummy house party. But don’t worry, more often than not you’ll just spend your weekends in bed.
You may party a lot freshman year, but you won’t go out every weekend. And when you do go to parties, they won’t be some magical or outstanding experience. You’re going to be surrounded by sweaty guys and you’ll have beer spilled on you way too often. Just accept the fact that most Saturday nights will be spent curled up in bed watching Netflix.
4. Expectation: Your roommate will be your best friend.
Reality: You’ll hang out a lot at the beginning of the year, then slowly drift away.
Unless you’re lucky, you won’t end up being best friends with your roommate. Although you’ll likely be civil with each other (but not always – after all, roommate horror stories are someone’s reality), you won’t spend every waking moment together. Enjoy the time you spend together during the first week because that will soon fade.
5. Expectation: There will be tons of attractive, nice guys on your campus and you’ll meet your soulmate within four months.
Reality: 90% of the guys on your campus will throw doors in your face or just want you to sleep with them.
Hate to break it to you, but hookup culture is a real thing…and that’s what most college guys will want. You’ll find that for every twenty guys you meet, only a few are looking for a relationship, and one will be just slightly interested in you…maybe. You won’t understand how people find relationships in college because so far you’re not having any luck.
6. Expectation: You’ll be super passionate about your major and you’ll start an internship second semester.
Reality: You’ll change your major six times and still be unsure what you want to do with your life.
Almost everyone changes their major once they start settling into classes. You’ll find that becoming a nurse like you’ve always planned isn’t really what is best for you. You’re going to go from major to major and wonder if you’ll ever find something that makes you happy. And even if you do keep the same major, you will be hit from time to time with doubt.
7. Expectation: You’ll make a ton of new friends in your classes, on your floor, and in your activities.
Reality: You’ll stumble across a couple good friends by the end of the year, but most people you meet won’t even text you over breaks.
At the beginning of the year, everyone is so desperate to make friends that anyone they talk to for more than five seconds is their new BFF. Come January, you won’t be speaking to a majority of the people you hung out with every second of the first week. Don’t worry, though, you will find good friends…although you’ll have to go through some fake ones for the real to shine through.
8. Expectation: You’ll be a full-fledged adult and will be responsible.
Reality: You’ll call your mom way too often and you’ll bring laundry home on breaks.
Adulting is so hard you’ll find yourself rewarding you for each little thing you do. Odds are, you’re going to end up packing your laundry up every break so mom can help you out and you’ll only clean your room when someone’s coming over.
9. Expectation: You’ll study for hours each evening in the library.
Reality: You’ll spend your evenings binge-watching Netflix documentaries and you’ll only visit the library during finals week.
You may study hard at the beginning of the semester, but just like working out or dressing cute, this will soon fade. You’ll find yourself cram-studying and be procrastinating just like everyone else by October.
