For any of the Harry Potter fanatics out there, there had to have been times when you've easily related to Harry. College contains many different things that may surprise you, such as finding who you truly are. Every day there are more things that you will learn and Harry Potter is a great person to relate to, and to have a good laugh. I know that a Harry Potter marathon is necessary for me at least once a month!
1. When taking a foreign language, it may seem as if you are a lost soul in class.
If you have never taken a foreign language, or decided to be brave in college and experience a new language, it seems as if the teacher is speaking in Parseltongue. Parseltongue, for any non-Potter fanatics, is the language of serpents. In these classes, you are expected to retain the language and be able to speak it as if it is your first language. In order to receive participation points, you must volunteer or you will get chosen to speak. When chosen, the spotlight is on you. You must have something to say and through the sweaty palms, you spew out a complete sentence that seems to be Parseltongue. Looking around the room, you notice that everyone is looking at you, and you sit there with a proud smile on your face. After class your friends come up to you and ask how you were able to create such magic!
2. During finals season, you are usually knee deep in work and studying.
With this, you spend most, almost all, of your waking hours in class, or in the library praying for knowledge to smack you in the head. Or, in your dorm room pretending that there is no life outside of your room because you need to focus. Also, during these seasons, you usually become ill and have a cough that sounds as if a lung may fall out of your throat. Obviously, there is no better time to have swollen glands, a nose that will not stop running and occasional nose bleeds to surprise you every now and then! Pretending that you do not exist seems like the best option at most times.
3. There is always a point in the semester when you realize that you will never have to use any of the information being taught.
Riddikulus is probably the only word that can aptly describe anything in that moment, resulting in you wanting to scream out all of your frustration. Moreover, class seems to drag on after you reach this point as if you have spent what feels like five hours in a one hour class. After leaving class, your eyes are widened, you may have a sweaty brow from your heated discussion with yourself, and you will probably rant to your friends about your realization.
4. Throughout college you will realize that it is an emotional rollercoaster.
One moment you feel as if you can conquer anything and everything, then the next moment you feel like crying your eyes out. I don’t think anyone can truly explain why college feels like this. Could it be the stress? Mounds of homework? The awful, flavorless food that you are given? There is a great chance that this emotional rollercoaster is caused by all of the above. You must learn to control your emotions because once you understand the material, everything will get better. The food on the other hand, I cannot help you with. Sometimes just by looking at the food, it may make you want to cry because it looks as if it will start walking off your plate. No worries! This is why there are always midnight Wawa runs with your friends, or nights where you order a large pizza for one.
5. Like Dobby, you are a free elf in college; You have no master!
You do not have a specific bedtime, you can go out whenever you please, there is no one to tell you when you must do your homework or choose what you eat for dinner. With this master figure out of the picture, you gain the art of organization and time management because you can no longer be dependent on your parents. While being a free elf you learn a lot about yourself, things you may have never known before and I must admit, it is a magical feeling. Always remember that once you are given the sock, it is your token to freedom, but be sure to make this freedom result in a positive note, and not a negative one!
In college be sure to be brave like Harry, and free like Dobby. Even though college may seem rough at the time, all the tears and stress will be worth it in the end. When in doubt, turn to Harry Potter to make your day brighter, because everyone can relate to Harry, he is truly magical!
