I probably have not learned as much as I should have during the first semester of my college career, mainly referring to Biology, but there have been a variety of lessons that have taken hold in my head. I know there are going to be many more, but these are a list of my first adult life lessons.
1. There's never enough time.
It doesn't matter what this is referring to, it's almost always right. Math homework, going to work, writing this article, taking a shower, there's never enough time. I have found myself finishing math homework that is due at midnight and completing it all the day of, barely making the deadline. Even if I do turn everything in that I need to, that means less sleep and if you personally know me, then you know why that's a huge problem.
2. Making plans is hard.
No matter how many times you can talk about wanting to hang out or go see a movie or get lunch together with a friend, it almost never happens. Actually putting plans together is so much more difficult than wanting to get together and do something. Everyone has different schedules between classes and work or whatever they do in their life. On top of that, I have two night classes and juggling plans around that makes it harder to ever pin down when I'm available to meet up with a friend.
3. You're not going to be the smartest kid in class anymore.
Whoever came up with the phrase "big fish in a little pond," was not exaggerating. Everyone always claimed that college requires more studying than high school ever did and I am here to wholeheartedly agree with that statement. Like many other "big fish", I never studied in high school, but my grades never really reflected my study habits. College, however, has required tremendous amounts of studying. I hear answers and see other people's scores around me and feel like an idiot at times for not understanding a concept. I am no longer the "big fish," but that's okay.
4. You're going to feel alone sometimes.
Whether you feel alone habitually or only every once in awhile, it is bound to happen. It doesn't matter if you can't seem to tie down plans with a friend, you're going through an agonizing breakup, or your high school friends attend another college or no college at all. I think that it is okay to feel alone sometimes though. Going through the process makes me want to puke and cry at the same time, but I am starting to think that maybe feeling alone is what makes being around people you care about so much better. Although I cannot wait for the moment I stop feeling alone, it seems like I will have to endure it until it goes away.
I am not completely sure if these lessons I've learned will apply to many, or any, people other than myself, but I am glad to have figured a few things out so soon in my college career. Maybe this means that I will have a semester or two of no lessons, most likely not though.
