So you made it. You have been accepted into a great school and are excited to begin this next phase in your life. You breeze into your first class without a care because, hey, you were in the top 10 percent of your high school class, so you just know that college is going to be a piece of cake for you as well. Soon enough, my poor, sweet freshman, you will begin to realize you are very, very wrong. Here are some things that become apparent to every student at the beginning of their collegiate career.
1. You were top 25 percent? So was everyone else.
Seriously, everyone in a good school was at least top 25 percent in their high school ranking. You will probably no longer be one of the smartest people around and that can be a very humbling prospect. You realize that there is the very real possibility that there might be people who are more intelligent than you, which sadly leads us to the next realization...
2. You will actually have to study now.
Memorizing five vocab words for your Spanish final is now a thing of the past, my friends. Going to college means spending many nights sifting through four different textbooks to write a 15-page research paper that will give you nightmares long after you have graduated these hallowed halls. But do not despair. These terrible nights will allow you to learn valuable skills that will be pertinent to your future careers such as critical thinking skills and increased writing capabilities.
3. Clubs matter.
In high school, clubs meant basically nothing. You could join the "International Club," which had the singular event of Taco Night. How international. In college, clubs take on a way more professional tone. Every club has an agenda that you will be expected to participate in if you wish to be a part of their organization. However, this is also the beauty of college clubs! Now you finally have a way to pursue issues and volunteer in a place where people will take you seriously for the first time in your life. Joining clubs is a surefire way to make your college experience extremely rewarding.
4. You're no longer the big man/woman on campus.
Your university will no doubt have thousands of students. These thousands of students will usually group off into small cliques or clubs and all lead very separate but rewarding lives. That means the time when everyone knew you at your small high school because you were prom queen or student body president are no more. So, unless you are a particularly social butterfly, don't fret about not being as popular as you were previously. Everyone eventually finds their group of friends and builds lasting relationships, and you will, too! Just remember to be friendly and put yourself out there.
5. No more parental safety net.
This is both a blessing and a curse. Without parents setting rules, you are now free to basically do whatever you want. That can mean pizza for every meal and sleeping in until 4 p.m. (which is totally awesome...for like a week). Then you begin to feel terrible all the time because maybe you're not taking the best care of yourself. Having no parents to tell you what to do gives you a ton of freedom, but it also takes a ton of responsibility to take care of yourself.
Some of these are hard facts to face, but they will all help you grow as a person. College can be a difficult transition, but hopefully, knowing these will allow you to be a step ahead of most freshies!
