I was under the same misunderstandings when it came to my time to chose where I wanted to go to college, why, and all those boring questions you get asked at family gatherings by the weird aunt you haven't seen in two years. You usually answer these questions with a half-smile and some vague thing about not being completely sure yet. Then you get hit with the realization that you really do need to figure it out. So you start searching for majors, tuition prices, organizations, and even how the food is (trust me, that's an important one). The more searching you do the more horror stories you start to hear, especially in the movies, T.V. shows, and even the news headlines. And I, personally, think that this is one of the aspects that begins to scare students away from the whole idea of college. So, I'm here to tell you about some expectations I had that were not entirely true to reality.
1.) So. Much. Work.
This is one of the biggest ones that I was shocked by and many of my friends were too. You hear about how all the teachers just make you read hundreds of pages and you have paper upon paper due. You hear how you're going to be up until 3 a.m. working on homework. This one isn't entirely true. While the course load is slightly more than high school, I mean it has to be you're learning how to do a future job, it's not totally unbearable. A little time management goes a long way, I have time to do all of my school work, be in band, create for Odyssey, and even hang out with my friends. So, it's not as bad as everyone makes it seem. Just don't procrastinate!
2.) Dorm Life
Going into college I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to shower and that my roommate would be super mean and messy. Or even that she would think I'm super mean or messy. I also thought that living in a dorm meant you would awkwardly see people and not really know them. This is not the case at all, I know most of the girls on my floor and we all get along great! My roommate is fantastic, and I don't think that I've had to wait for a shower ever, and I've been here for almost a month already! While they aren't the nicest buildings on campus, they're still pretty great and nothing like what I thought I was getting myself into.
3.) The Parties!!!
Everyone knows about the college parties, you get to drink underage, maybe even try out some drugs. Some people even try to "hook up" (whatever that is). When I thought of college parties I thought about people going out and getting so trashed that they couldn't even remember what happened the next day. This isn't completely the case, some people do host and attended these crazy parties, but for the most part they are pretty chill. I have been to a total of two parties (sorry, mom) since I got here. Neither of which were at all crazy, it was just a large group of people hanging out and having a good time. So, pretty much, if you just be smart about what you do and where you go, you'll be fine
So, in closing, I know that this is pretty mind blowing information. I was pretty surprised myself when I found this all out. Also, this is just what I've experienced thus far, and will probably change or grow as the time moves on. I also understand that I go to a pretty small school and this may not be what everyone experiences, but I get the same vibe from a lot of my friends who go to bigger schools. College isn't totally scary or even all that crazy, so just don't be afraid of it.
