It's been four months since I graduated from college, and I already miss it terribly. College days were some of the best of my life. Sure, the classes and exams were stressful at times, but the amazing parts balanced it out. Here's 13 things I miss most about college:
1. Having "free" food thanks to dining dollars and meal plans
Campus meal plans may have sucked at times, but nothing sucks as much as actually having to spend your hard earned cash on food..that isn't even unlimited! Campus dollars were the light of my life; it's like monopoly money that works in real life.
2. Free seats in the student section at football games
Not to mention the tailgating for hours that happens before...
3. Partying every night of the week without judgement
If it's a coping skill it's fine, right? Rush parties, frat parties, house parties, birthday parties...the list goes on.
4. Choosing your schedule
Not a morning person? Not a problem. In college you get to choose your class timings, whereas in the post-college world, you do what your employer says. (Hint: it's usually not the hours you like to work).
5. Dressing like bum every day is OK
Something tells me if I show up to work in sweatpants I'm not going to get the same reaction as I would if I wore them to class. The real world has a dress code and it's the bane of my existence.
6. Being surrounded by attractive people your age all the time
College is a little bubble where you're surrounded by people that are your age and have the same motivations and interests as you. You're surrounded by all the *single* fish in the sea all at once; in the real world, you're not constantly surrounded by attractive guys 24/7... and it's awful.
7. Living in a three-mile radius of all your friends
Try moving to a new city where your only friends are coworkers and your roommate.. and your friends at home are now four hours away. Post-grad social life sucks.
8. Skipping classes because you just don't feel like going
Sure, there may be a few consequences but in the end, you can still skip! In the real world there's things like PTO and call-in days and only a certain number of sick leaves. It's a combination of high school policies and Hell.
9. Spring break
It's the most wonderful time of the year complete with beach trips, cruises, or all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. In the real world you have bills and no breaks. RIP the fun, crazy spring breaker you used to be.
10. Three month long summer vacations
You literally have three months to do whatever you want, lay out by the pool and bask in the glorious sun. The closest you get to that in the real world is staring at the sun from inside your office window.
11. Late night food
Cookout, Taco Bell, McDonald's: All of them were part of your nightly routine a few times in the week. Now it's all about being in bed at a reasonable hour so you're not dead on your feet at work the next morning.
12. Daily naps
Gap between classes? Nap time. Tired after a long day? Nap it out. In the real world: Work all day so you can barely sleep for a few hours at night. It's miserable.
13. The school spirit
There's really nothing that compares to the feeling of being united as a whole based on the school you go to. Once a member of the pack, always a member of the pack.
TL;DR:
College: Amazing
Real World: Shit
