College. One of the biggest transformations of your life.
There are many things that run through your mind as you prepare for this new journey. You have no idea what to expect, or how to face the challenges that are about to be thrown at you. You worry about making new friends, coming out of your shell, wearing the right clothes, joining the right clubs and sports teams, and of course getting good grades. Everyone has told you it’s much harder than high school, but at the same time the social scene is different and you will find your place to fit in. Both are true, but one of the biggest impacts on your freshman year will be living in the dorms.
Your friends are right around the corner, literally. Anytime you need someone to talk to, advise on what to wear out, someone to watch a movie with, or help with your homework it is all just a few steps away.
You get to know new people, fast. You become friends with people you have never seen before. You are all thrown together and expected to find a way to make your living arrangement work for the next year. Privacy becomes nonexistent, and you will have many unexpected surprises. But it takes away the awkward phase, and you get to know each other fast. Boys find out that girls actually poop, and girls become a lot more open about their embarrassing habits and insecurities.
Unexpected situations will become some of your best memories. You’ll be faced with some of the more bizarre scenarios you least expected. But you will tell these stories over and over again.
You learn to take responsibility, whether you want to or not. Mom and dad are no longer around to clean the toilet, or wash your laundry. You can’t push the chores off on your siblings. Although the kid down the hall might help if you throw them $5, it never hurts to ask.
You get the sibling you never asked for. There are many types of roommates. You could become best friends, share all your secrets, and if you’re a girl share your wardrobe, which really comes in handy when you go through the stage of hating all your clothes halfway through the semester. You two could absolutely hate each other, and not get along at all. You will do everything to avoid one another, and sadly it could be one of the longest years of your life. On the bright side you will be forced to go out and meet other people. Or, there is the roommate that just keeps to themselves. They won’t speak unless spoken to, you really won’t mind each other but you’re not exactly friends. They are shy, and could be scared, maybe of you, but it is a new experience for them too and they are just handling it differently.
Overall, college should be one of the best experiences of your life. Everything that you were originally scared of will seem incredibly unimportant at the end of your first year. It will fly by, and before you know it you will be leaving the people it feels like you just met, and you’ll be asking yourself, “How am I supposed to live without them for the next three months?” Don’t let anything hold you back from enjoying these new experiences and all they have to offer.
