Freshman year is either exciting or enticing. There's an immense difference between being a freshman in high school and a freshman in college. Both bring change, but in different ways. Both bring new experiences, but with different outlooks. Both bring a new phase to your life. Being a freshman is a new outlook on your life, here is the difference.
1. First day
High School: Excitement is flowing through your body because you have more independence than you did in junior high. There are more classes that you get to have a say in when you make your schedule. There are football games to attend and you finally get to stand in the student section. The lunch line has more varieties of food. The best one, you no longer have to deal with twerpy kids a year younger than you.
College: You may or may not be living in a dorm, but you surely have way more independence. Choosing to go to class or not to go is always the question of the day. Emailing your professors is one of the most important things you have to do. It is on you to write your assignments down and study more than you did in high school. There is way more responsibility laying on your shoulders. You need to check your class schedules more than once aka the first-day class because your professors don't always tell you when everything is due until two days before. This is the beginning of becoming an independent adult.
2. Sleep
High School: Sleeping for eight hours maybe a little less is typical.
College: What is sleep? More coffee, please!
3. Meeting people
High School: Sure, you'll meet some new people, but for the most part you've been going to school with these people for at least three years. You know a copious amount about their lives. You've been listening to them talk about their favorite things for years. It's not uncommon to know what they like to do. So, it's just another school year.
College: There is a multitude number of people all around you. People you've never met let alone seen surround you. You see a new person left and right every day. It's almost as if you never stop meeting people. Attending events and meeting new people is nothing out of the ordinary. You join a club and meet new people. Even working on a group project with someone who has been in your class for weeks leads to meeting new people. You may never talk to these people ever again, but it's ridiculous how you can run into a new person every single day.
4. Group projects
High School: It's hell. Group projects are the worst. You always have at least one person who never does anything except for show up on the day of the presentation. NObody understands why you have to do these projects. Group projects are a complete joke to you. It's split between not liking the people you're working with, or you know they're the worst people to work with.
College: It's still hell. Working around everybody's schedule to meet outside of class is terrible. You probably don't know them that well. There are still people in your group who never show up to group meetings let alone participate. You are forced to do something that you may not want to do because over half the group voted to do it. Group projects are still Satan's gift to the world.
5. The clothes you wear
High School: Waking up early is normal. Setting ten alarms isn't surprising. Your hair has to be at least somewhat decent. It's a sin to wear sweats unless you're proclaiming that it's a lazy day. There is no way you're going to wear the same shirt two weeks in a row. Dressing nice or cute is an unwritten rule that must be followed.
College: Wearing sweats is a daily routine. You probably wake up for your 8 AM in your sweats and go to class. Dressing up no longer exists in the world. It's not weird to wear the same outfit two days in a row because the only person that will know is your roommate.
6. Food
High School: Lunch is a part of the day at school. There is no need to worry about when lunch is happening. It's simple. The biggest problem is what you're going to eat.
College: You either have to eat faster than you've ever eaten in your life between classes or wait until you have a decent amount of time to eat. That time might be dinner. The food probably won't be as great as it might've been before, but then again cafeteria food isn't all that great either.
7. Studying
High School: Tests that you have to study a maximum of 5 hours to receive a decent grade? That sounds horrendous. That's only an hour every day for a school week.
College: You study for 17 hours for one test at least. Staying up up all hours of the night stressing out about a class that you have an A in is completely normal in college.
8. Choosing classes
High School: Almost all of the classes are already chosen for you. The classes freshman year are usually required to take the classes for the following years. There's no need to worry about times or how valuable credit hours are. Let alone the fact that you aren't taking 12 credit hours.
College: Some classes you take will either make you cry mid-semester or thankful that you don't have to deal with as much stress. Taking five classes in college is much different than five classes in high school. The first week of classes is known as syllabus week. It tricks you. College is not as easy as syllabus week wants to make you think.
9. Finding things to do
High School: There are a few clubs that are the right fit for you. There are games that you can attend. You have a little more freedom, but you most likely have a curfew.
College: There is a countless number of activities for you to do. There campus groups that can become a second home. Football, basketball, baseball, softball, hockey games are always happening at some point in the week. Random events are always going on. There are events that happen on the quad. Basically, a college has a drastic amount of places to get involved. Check them out!
10. Crossing the street
High School: You definitely look both ways at least once. You wait until the car you see passes by, and then cross. You are smart.
College: You probably don't look unless you're about to cross a busy street. You want your tuition to be paid for, so you can risk an injury or two, right?
11. Substitute vs Class Canceled
High school: If your teacher is sick or another reason, you have a substitute. You still have to go to class. Sucker.
College: Your professor gets sick, too busy, or can't make it to class, your class gets canceled. You now have more time to sleep, study, or eat. The best part of college.
In the end, a high school freshman and a college freshman are vastly different. There are a couple of similarities here and there, but for the most part, it's a whole new world. The first year of college is crazy, and nothing like you would ever expect.
