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Student Life

7 Lessons I Learned From My First Semester Of College

I don't know everything or anything close to that, but I have learned some things living on campus for the past few months.

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7 Lessons I Learned From My First Semester Of College
@collegeofcharleston

In This Article:

The food is mediocre at best and the boys are just as mean as high school, but I love college!

Dining hall food can be very hit or miss

Being a freshman, I should expect nothing more than to use the meal plan and endure the constant chaos of the dining hall.

Sometimes you're going to have to deal with the fact that there's a hair in your pasta or your meat has an odd sheen to it.

While most people tend to get heated about this issue, I don't tend to sweat it that much because you have to think the multitude of people the staff is trying to feed and understand that it's not always going to be a 5-star steak house meal.

Yes, sometimes I do choose to eat out, so I don't have to experience whatever they try to qualify as "Beef Stroganoff" but let's be real, It's free food, and you might find something that you like.

Your friends from home are going to pop in and out of your life

While at first, it may seem like you and your best friends will keep the same contact as you did when you were back home, that's not always the case.

A lot of times your friends will get busy, or you will be busy and next thing you know it's been three weeks, and you haven't heard from them.

It is nothing personal, it's just the adjustment of college is a lot, and we're all trying to figure it out. The nice thing is, FaceTime is so easy, and I've found that it fills the gap of them not being with me.

If not FaceTime, Snapchat at least lets you know that they're not dead.

Your sleep schedule will change

In high school, I was always an early riser. I could get out of bed at 7:30 am on the weekend and be ready to go. However, college has changed me. I sleep every chance I get.

On the weekend, it is lucky if I'm out of bed by noon. That being said, I also stay up a lot later. I used to get mad at myself if I wasn't in bed by 11:00 p.m.

Now I'm just happy if I'm back in my dorm by then, and that's only on weeknights. Don't even get me started on the weekends. Whoever came up with the concept of parties not starting until 10:30 p.m. — you made a mistake. I think they should start around 7:00 p.m. and I could be back in bed by midnight.

All in all, don't expect yourself to get up as early as you forced yourself to in high school. Last but not least, you might think an 8:00 a.m. will be okay. An 8:00 a.m. is never okay.

CVS will become your best friend 

Okay to be fair, this could be Walgreens too, but my campus has a CVS.

For whatever reason, there is never a bad time to go to CVS.

Whether you're coming back from the bars with your friends and you have a dire need for white cheddar Cheez-its, or your roommate is sick, and you decide you need to create your own Mini Pharmacy, there is always a reason to make a quick stop. My friends and I are constantly in CVS looking for something we don't need.

Nothing is better than deciding you want to stay and watch Netflix so all your friends run to CVS to get some snacks and whatever else we can find.

Having a good roommate is important

I have been fortunate enough to have my roommate and suitemate be my best friends.

However, not everyone is so lucky. When I say "having a good roommate is important," I don't mean they need to be your best friend, but you both need to learn how to co-exist and that goes both ways. It is just as possible for you to be the bad roommate.

So, when you're trying to figure out your living situation, make sure you're sure they're the person you want to live with because there are no breaks when you're in the room. You don't get to run off to your room and hide. They live there too so be respectful and also know worst-case scenario, it's okay to move out if things get bad.

You're going to get homesick

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten is "Don't be afraid to admit you're homesick" A friend of mine said that everyone goes through this phase their first semester or even year of college where everyone is in this unspoken competition to get everyone to think that they're thriving or having the most fun.

Everyone is in the same boat.

I genuinely do love my school, but that doesn't mean there aren't times where all I want is to get on a plane and go home. That's part of being in college.

It's important to remember that the things you miss about home are most likely gone too. Home for me is a metaphorical thing. Yes, I love my hometown, but when I get homesick, I think of my friends and family.

That being said, they're always just a phone call away and are probably feeling the same way you are. SO don't be afraid to reach out and give in to the forbidden fruit that is "being homesick."

Boys are still the same

I think every girl has this moment where they think going to college — all the boys are going to be so different, that they've miraculously turned into men and won't compare to any of the jerks from back home.

While some guys are really nice in college, I'm going to let you know that many of them have not turned into men at all. That is precisely why accounts like Barstool and 5th year even exist.

There is only a three-month gap between college and the end of high school, and clearly, that is not enough time for guys to lose their egotistical personalities. For some, it gets even worse because they think they're on top of the world finally being in college.

I'm going to let you in on a secret: boy you're not the sh*t, stop treating women like they're disposable.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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