Let me start off by saying that college is a blast. So. Much. Better. Than. High. School. The endless freedom that you are warned about is no joke. (Neither is the freshman 15, but that's another article for another day.) This freedom gives you a lot of opportunities to spread your wings and practice independence, but it also sets you up for a little inevitable disappointment. And this is not entirely your fault! You are fresh out from under your parents' control, you don't have a bedtime, you have little to no restrictions whatsoever, and you are more than ready to meet that guy you've always dreamt of.
At our school, freshman year is structured to give you a little extra free time in order to get involved and get used to your new, much harder classes. To my parents, this meant I would have extra time to hit the grind in the library; to me, it meant nothing of the sort. Let me be straightforward: You will most likely go out three (or more) times a week wearing something you were never allowed to wear in high school, hoping to catch the wandering eye of someone (or ANYONE, really...) who would wind up giving you attention and have you thinking they could be the one.
*Cue that Hannah Montana song.*
Anyway, this will probably be your mindset for months, and you will definitely not be the only girl feeling that way. Since when did this become acceptable? Since every freakin' song on the radio involves meeting your dream guy at a bar or some other less-than-classy venue, falling in love with said boy, and starting a family. Dear freshman girl, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. OK, it might. But it's not likely. And you need to just take it from someone who found out the hard way (and I have many friends who would agree) that it's so much better to save your time, money, taxi fares and trashy clothes. Freshman year is about meeting the greatest friends you'll ever have and learning how to live on your own. Yes, that means independent from boys who are after nothing more than temporary satisfaction and maybe a little arm candy for an evening or two.
This is just another one of the million things I wish I had known before I came to college, but maybe it's something you just have to find out on your own. Don't say I didn't warn you, but don't say I told you not to have any fun. Like I said, college is ahhh-mazing, and you are going to LOVE it, I promise. And every time you fall for another boy's shenanigans, you'll have the best gal pals in the world to help you devour some Ben & Jerry's or watch "The Bachelor(ette)" with you. Trust me, the guy you're looking for will never show up while you're looking. He'll sneak around the corner and sweep you off your feet when you absolutely least expect it.
