I've officially been a college freshman for seven weeks now. and I can honestly say, this has been the craziest two months I have ever experienced. From being away from home for the first time for more than like a day, to hitting my first car, here's some of the things I have learned/experienced in my first few weeks of being a freshman in college:
1. You're not going to be forced to be best friends with your roommate simply because you think you won't find any other friends.
Trust me, I have made more friends in this short time than I EVER did in school. Which was not only shocking to me, but my family as well.
2. The friends that you do make, are going to be the true friends that will last you a lifetime.
I never thought I would be comfortable taking my pants off in front of anyone that I hadn't known for like ever. But my friends and I went from, as they say, "zero to one hundred real quick." We talk about everything from hot guys to poop(literally nothing is off limits anymore). We're so close. It's nice to know you have people that are willing to drive you around and sit with you until midnight when your car breaks down and ride with you to the ER.
3. It doesn't matter how much sleep you get, it's never going to be enough.
When I signed up for 10 a.m. classes, I figured "oh man! I get to sleep in late, YASSSSS." No. Waking up at 9:30 still sucks just as much.
4. Mastering the 30-minute nap.
I have never in my life appreciated naps as much as I do now. Before college, if I ever took a nap during the day I wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Now I need a nap everyday just to survive. Naps are so under appreciated.
5. Laundry piles up a lot faster than you think.
I do my laundry once a week and by the time laundry day finally rolls around, my laundry bag is huge. So be sure you make time to fight for a washer every once and a while.
6. Or just wear whatever you want. Nobody's going to care anyway.
Today I literally caught myself pulling a shirt off the floor and putting it on. It was clean anyway. I mean I only wore it as a jacket one day.
7. Cafeteria food isn't as good as you'd imagined, but also still a step up from high school food.
It's pleasing to know that the fries are actually cooked, not frozen. AND there's pizza every day. However, their tacos will never be as good as your mom's back home.
8. That guy you think is the one, isn't.
You may have found "the man of your dreams," but behind that, he's really not all he cracks up to be. He's not going to be the one. He's not going to magically fall in love with you. Most likely, He's gonna pull some jerk move and your world is going to crash down around your feet. You've just got to pick yourself up and move on. There's a whole world out there still to explore.
9. Fender Benders are not the end of the world.
Before arriving at college, I had never hit another car... like ever. And I prayed I never would. But within these few weeks, I have. One tiny misjudgment of space and your car collides with the back bumper of an unsuspecting car. The owner is nowhere to be found, and your only option is to call the cops. And she ultimately tells you "you're 18, it's time to stop freaking out." Not to mention the car ended up belonging to a cute guy. Lord help!
10. It is apparently not acceptable to freak out when meeting a British guy for the first time.
And you can't just run up to them and asking for their name. Also just because you know their name, doesn't mean you're actually friends. Or so my friend's continue to tell me.
11. It's okay to go home at midnight if you need to.
If you're anything like me, you run away from your problems. And as Dorothy said, "there's no place like home." Home is my safe haven, my place to run to when my world seems to be crashing down all around me. My place to go when some guy is being jerky or I just need my mom to comfort me. It's totally okay to just go.
12. Netflix and Chill is apparently a thing.
It's all people talk about. And it's no longer safe to go to your guy friend's dorm and just watch a movie. Especially when it's "like Netflix, but free." He may have not realized the sketchiness at the time, but he won't live it down for the rest of the year.
13. Adulting is a lot harder than we thought.
I've had to do way more adulting than I ever wanted to so far. From my car breaking down and being stuck all by myself and having no clue what to do, registering to vote, taking myself to the ER, and so on. I was never prepared for this.
14. The Thirst is real.
And it's okay to be thirsty. Chances are, you may never see them again. And let me just say, there are some beautiful men in this world.
15. Keep on keeping on.
Through it all, there have been many times I've just wanted to throw in the towel and go home. But it's the amazing friends I've made that come in my room screaming to wake me up and get me out of bed, hug me when I'm crying, and make me laugh harder than I've ever laughed. And it's the professors who call you to their office just to be sure you're okay. And just all of the good times and good times to come.
Everyone always says that high school is the best four years of your life. But they're wrong. College is where it's at. This is the place that you will make memories that will last you your whole life. My mom is constantly telling us stories about the fun she had when she was in school. And I want that. I want to be able to remember all of these people that I've come to love in such a short time. Not to mention the future that is to come. This is the time of our lives. Live it up. Make memories. Put yourself out there, BE CRAZY. It's okay to be weird. Just enjoy yourself.
This is your time to shine.
