Congratulations! You have finally graduated from 4 long years of high school. Now, you're about to start this exciting, new and sometimes hectic journey in your life called college!
If you aren't quite sure what to expect, let me tell you, it's nothing like high school.
Everything that was important to you during high school (homecoming queen, prom, quarterback) is irrelevant. No one is going to care who you were in high school because no one knows you, especially if you move away from your hometown to go to college. But no fears, this is a great time to meet new people who may become your life long friends. Most of the time, you will be just another face in the crowd to your professors. Now, this doesn't mean that they aren't there to help you with any questions you have, just don't expect them to remember your name or anything like that. After all, they do see hundreds, maybe even thousands, of students each day. You don't have to ask to go to the bathroom. You can just get up and leave whenever you need to do so (within reason- not everyday and constantly). The only time you have to bring a doctor's excuse is when you missed an assignment or a test. You aren't given a specific school supply list, which means you're free to use whatever you want whether it be notebooks for each class or a binder or two. Though sometimes, a professor may ask you to buy something specifically for their class. For example, my Anatomy and Physiology professor asked us to buy a pack of note cards so we could write our names on them each class meeting. That was her way of keeping up with attendance. You make your own schedule, so you decide when you have lunch and breaks. Surprisingly at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (I don't know about any others), the cafeteria food is actually delicious- not just some mystery meat thrown on a plate. There's a home cooked section, a build-your-own-pasta section, a pizza section, a breakfast section where you can make your own waffles, a section with fries, burgers and grilled cheeses and a giant salad bar.
There will be plenty of times when you're overwhelmed with school work (the third day, I cried) and you would rather do something other than study. However it is important to remember that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to go to college, so don't take your opportunity for granted. The work is harder than high school work, but it isn't impossible. Most importantly, have a lot of fun and get involved somehow, but keep in mind that your number one priority should be passing your classes.
