The First Week:
The "adulting" fears.
The day has finally come: you're officially an adult, hitting the big scary world all on your own. You start to think back to the three hundred copies of "Oh the Places You'll Go" that you received as graduation presents and start to realize that you really can "steer yourself any direction you choose." Just don't steer yourself into the ground! It's all in your hands now and that's scary.
I Miss You!
Without a doubt, the first week of freshman year is a very emotional time. Don't think you can fool us with the whole "I'm an adult now, I can do what I want when I want" front. We all know you're terrified. We're all terrified. Don't pretend you won't cry! There will be tears.
Well...Now What?
Classes haven't started yet, you haven't had time to establish a solid friend group, clubs haven't started yet...what to do, what to do....Netflix movie marathon anyone? My door is wide open!
The Second Week:
"Is that a sign up sheet? Well...sign me up!"
By now, the activities fair has rolled around and you've decided to sign up for any and everything you can put your name on. Rowing? Why not? Cello lessons? Of course! Intramural bowling? Sure! Underwater Basket-Weaving? Hit me with your best shot!
Work Hard, Play Hard!
Another thing that has inevitably picked up in the first two weeks is the party scene. Just make sure you follow all of the AlcoholEDU outlines and you should be fine. And giving your phone to your sober roommate is always a wonderful idea.
Drop and Give Me Twenty!
The second week of college rolls to a close and you've already started thinking about that Freshman Fifteen. It's coming for you, and fast (and in the form of an ice cream truck that rides around campus.) Time to hit the gym! If you're like most people, you make a vow to yourself to hit the gym once a day, every day. Also like most people, this promise to yourself may not last very long.
F is For Friends...
Congratulations! You've finally gotten comfortable with a group of people that you have started to consider your friends. You've found your friend group! This group of people will help you figure out not only how to manage your new "adult" life but help you justify a run to the C-Store for ice cream at midnight to amp you up for an all-night movie marathon. Choose wisely.
The End of the First Month:
Running Yourself Into the Ground.
By now your classes are in full swing and you roll over and hit the "brew" button on your keurig almost every morning. You're living on a minimal amount of sleep, a ton of coffee, and free granola bars. Life hits you hard almost every day but it's fine...you're fine. Just gotta get yourself up and get back at it!
"Yes, the monitor is on. No, it's not working."
Another frustration at this point: technology. Whether it's slow wifi, a failed connection during a crucial online submission time, or a simple malfunction that's keeping you from your Netflix binge, odds are you've become at least minimally acquainted with IT at this point. This is not a bad thing. IT is your friend, the know how to fix the wifi...be good to them.
Discovering the Magic That Is Time Management.
"Free time? What's free time? I have to write three papers, do my laundry, finish a lab report, vacuum my room, analyze a 32-page reading, make Prime reservations, wash my dishes, and get eight hours of sleep all by this Friday."
"I know I don't need another t-shirt but it was free..."
At this point, you're running out of money. Don't pretend you've completely budgeted your "allowance" to a perfect dollar amount per day, we all know you haven't. The first month of college is the perfect time to learn to enjoy the few free things that life has to offer, such as club t-shirts, kiosk hot chocolate, and all-you-can-eat meal swipes.
Midterms:
Drop the Pizza and Back Away Slowly.
With the stress of midterm exams looming over your head, sure it may feel really tempting to reach for comfort food to fuel your late-night study sessions but don't reach for the cookie jar just yet! Your ready to re-vamp that diet you vowed to keep a few months ago. Stay strong and study on!
If it Isn't on the Test, it's Not Important.
Forget everything you know about living a social life. Forget everything you know about the existence of Netflix. Forget any notion you have of sleeping. Oh, and if you remember your own name, forget that too. Your professors score your midterm by your student ID, you won't be needing your name on test day so you can ditch that too. Which way is the library, again?
Five More Minutes?
The mid-semester slump rolls around earlier than others but by the time Fall Break approaches, everybody wakes up in the morning looking forward to going back to sleep. Every moment you don't spend cuddled up in a blanket feels like a total waste of your time and energy. Unfortunately, it's quite the opposite: get to studying.
Maximum Overdrive!
At some point (hopefully before your last midterm) you hit a massive streak of motivation to do something, anything productive. Put that to good use! Do all the things! Study for all the tests! Nothing can stop you now that you're in maximum overdrive!
Fall Break:
The Anticipation is Almost Too Much
Whether it's to see your family, your friends, or just your dog, you're extremely eager to get home the second that you finish your last midterm. Who can blame you? It's time to go home, where there are no classes, people to cook for you, and you get to sleep in your own bed!Did Someone Say Mom's Pot Roast?
Unless you live five minutes away from home, odds are you haven't had a home cooked meal in over two months. The week before fall break you call your mom at least ten times asking for foods that you want while you're home. You sit in the Cafe yearning for a nice slice of chicken pot pie instead of the sad bowl of soggy cereal sitting in front of you. The granola bars that usually make your mouth water all throughout your 7:50 just doesn't cut it anymore...face it, you just want to go home and get some real food.
The End of the Semester:
Goodbye, Fall Semester!
The semester is officially over and you can finally rid your mind of everything that you've learned in the past semester, right? Well not quite. I'm not saying you should do this with your Organic Chemistry notes if you're Pre-Med but do you really need to know every last piece of art from the Renaissance?Goodbye!!!!
Time to say goodbye to that awful class you somehow got stuck in for your first semester of college! It's finally Christmastime and you're on your way to Spring Semester!
Realizing Your New Definition of "Success."
So your grades weren't as stellar as you had hoped...but did you fail? It's okay! You passed, all while learning how to live on your own for the very first time! That should be a success in anybody's book!
"Don't be a Jerk...It's Christmas!"
Hey, don't be upset about your grades. If you are, certainly don't take it out on everybody around you! After all, the semester is over and that means one thing: it's finally Christmas!
