The best I can describe college is a trial run of adulthood. You haven’t had to commit yet, and you still have other things (family, etc.) to help you along, but at the same time you’ve been thrown into this thing called life, and while it may seem like on the outside you’re the only one struggling, I promise everyone is struggling just as much as you.
College is confusing, fun, and a time where you grow a lot in a short period of time. You really have to learn how to stand on your own two feet because your parents are not going to be just down the hall from your room to tell you how to properly cook your Easy Mac (someone sets one of these on fire every year), or to take you to your doctor’s appointment when you wake up one morning feeling like you got backed over by a truck. Things like these are your responsibility now, and while the little things may not seem like a lot, a month in you’re going to miss your moms home cooked meals and her patience as she waited with you at the doctor’s office.
While going away to college does come with these responsibilities, it also comes with newfound freedoms and the ability to have a lot of fun. If you want to stay up and marathon "Friends" until 4 a.m., well, there’s no one here to tell you you can’t do that. If you want to go hang out at a fraternity house on a Wednesday night just because, well you can do that to. You even can make the decision if you want to get up and go to class that day (which I encourage you to do, many professors take attendance). The possibilities are endless, and you actually have the ability to do what you want when you want, something most people don’t grow up having. The freedom is fun, but don’t take advantage of it and forget why you actually came to school.
College has a lot of opportunities and ways for you to find your niche. Some people find it in student government, Greek life, leadership and cultural groups, and even service organizations. I ensure you your campus offers more organizations than you are probably aware of, and encourage you to find a place where you feel at home and passionate about what the organization does. The transition is made immensely easier if you have a support system of people who are passionate about similar things as you.
Finally, I want to debunk a few myths that are commonly spread about college, just to ease some of your concerns. It’s really nothing like what you’ve seen in movies. You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate to live together, some grow together and end up best friends and others just live together and do their own thing.
Many teachers do in fact take attendance, and it will count for part of your grade. Teachers also don’t always just cancel class if they are sick or have a trip planned, many will get a substitute.
Not having homework? Also a myth. Many teachers assign weekly assignments that are due and there are lot of readings. Last but not least, the freshmen 15 is only real if you make it real. Most schools have a wonderful gym facility, and you should take advantage of that and not the Chick-fil-A across the street from your dorm.
