With a new semester upon us, we all have some expectations for what the next 15 weeks have in store. Even though we can plan all we want, it's only a matter of time before nature takes its course.
Working Out
Expectation: "I'm going to work out a minimum of four times a week and when I can't make it to the gym, I'll do some exercises at home."
Reality: Your only form of cardio is walking from the couch to the refrigerator and the lifting you do when you're looking for the remote under the chairs.
"Required" Reading
Expectation: "I'll split up the chapters evenly each night; 30 pages per night isn't bad."
Reality: "What chapter are we on?"
Paying Attention in Class
Expectation: "I'm going to turn off my phone at the start of class and I'm going to make sure to take diligent notes."
Reality: The Civil War was like, forever ago, and this level of Candy Crush isn't going to beat itself.
Getting Organized
Expectation: "I'm going to color code each class with matching notebooks and binders in my new planner."
Reality: You have one notebook with last semester's notes in it and aren't completely sure which class you're sitting in.
Getting Ready
Expectation: "You never know who I might run into on campus, so it's time to ditch the 'comfy casual' look."
Reality: "Have I already worn this sweatshirt this week?"
Time Management
Expectation: "I'm going to make a schedule that plans out my class times, study time, sleep time, and time I'll reserve for myself."
Reality: You don't know what day it is and you've started sleeping in your clothes to save time in the mornings.
Office Hours
Expectation: "I'm going to go into office hours on the first day and introduce myself to the professor, so I can easily ask questions I may have throughout the semester."
Reality: You never go into office hours and you still aren't sure how to pronounce your professor's name.
Cleaning
Expectation: "I'm going to make my bed every day, do my laundry once a week, and keep my floor vacuumed."
Reality: "This is my pile of dirty laundry and this is my pile of clean laundry. Or was it the other way around...?"
Studying
Expectation: "I'm going to study each night after every class, so that I have time to fully absorb and retain the information."
Reality: You walk into the library at 11 P.M. the day before the test trying to find someone that can tell you which chapters are on the exam.
Eating Healthy
Expectation: "I'll plan out my meals every Sunday, so that I have time to prepare fresh salads for the week."
Reality: The people at the pizza shop know your order by heart and have your number saved in their Caller ID.
Expectation: "I'll watch one episode per night once I've finished all my assignments and I've studied for each class."
Reality: You haven't opened a textbook in days, but you did finish an entire television series.
