Everyone develops their own ideas about what college will be like before they leave, thoughts from older friends or relatives who have done it before, so expectations are high and emotions are higher. For me, it’s safe to say that college is a completely different beast than from what I had imagined it to be, and not to say that the reality is worse from the fantasy- far from it, but the two are extremely different. It’s been strange to see where I’ve come in the past year of my life versus where I thought I would be, and in honor of the closing of my freshman year this past week, I thought it would be fitting to share a little insight about things I wish I had known coming in.
It’s okay to struggle. The perception of college is that we are all having fun all of the time, but for most of us- that’s not true. Everyone has their bad days, their ups and downs, and we struggle for different reasons. Because college is so stressful and requires so much energy, every once in a while you just want to be left alone, or you’re not in the mood to go out, and that’s perfectly fine.
You will miss home. It might not hit you in between the rush to unpack your suitcases and set up your room decorations, but there will be points where you miss your parents, your pets, and even your old room. Living in an entirely new space is a huge culture shock, and it’s not abnormal to feel funny about it from time to time.
You don’t need to bring all those clothes. For me, I never wore half of the tee shirts or sweatpants that I brought to make it worth having to pack them all up at the end of the year. Unless your wardrobe centers around tees (perfectly cool though) I would suggest only packing a tee shirt for every day of the week, around seven- so you can rotate them in between sleeping and hanging out in the dorm room. I brought around 30 shirts, and I never even touched half of them.
You don’t escape drama in college. One of the biggest things that people look forward to in college is getting away from all the ‘drama’ that people go through in high school. It’s only normal to want a change of scene after having gone to the school with the same people for years, after all. While there is a lot more freedom in choosing who you spend your time with, and having classes with so many different people, there is still room for conflict. Conflict can occur between floor mates, roommates, friend groups, in your relationship, or even with strangers you just met. Because there are so many different personalities out there that you can be exposed to in college, there are increased chances you won’t get along with everyone.
You’re going to need some abstract tools. Whether it be forks and knives for that food you got at 1 am, a screwdriver to fix your printer, a hammer for raising your bed posts, stamps and envelopes, or a corkscrew for… miscellaneous… everyone needs some strange tools now and then, and I guarantee you that you will go on a door to door excursion looking for exactly what you need. Best solution to this problem? Decide between you and your roommate some tools that you guys could take from your homes (or purchase) and put them towards the dorm room.
Invest in a printer. Everyone says that buying a printer isn’t a necessity for college- and it can definitely be managed but it makes life extremely easy when you have access to printing whenever you need it, because you’re not always going to want to pop into the library before class to pick up that essay you printed. It’s also convenient to print off required readings while you’re cozy in bed- instead of having to get up, get clothed, and trek on over to the library.
Living there is an all the time thing. Unless you’re commuting to school, no one really considers that all of your day will be spent around the campus. Because you’re not sitting in class for eight hours like you were in high school, you need to fill your time constructively, doing things like participating in clubs- or what my friends and I do, nap for hours at a time and fill out Buzzfeed quizzes.
Get creative in the dining hall. There will be times when you think that there is absolutely nothing to eat in the dining hall, so you have to invent your own meals. For example, taking an English muffin and making a mini pizza out of it by placing a cheese slice and pasta sauce on top actually tastes really good!
Bring the food you crave. If you aren’t bringing snacks that satisfy what you really want to eat- you will search endlessly in the dining hall for sweets to replace that one item, causing you to overeat and just be really sad.
Don’t go on the Freshman Walk. It involves around 300 freshman walking in one aimless direction looking for a party. When they can’t find anything, everyone turns around at one time and attaches desperately to the people next to them, and runs to the nearest dorm room drinking session to celebrate their confusion and awkward beginnings. My roommate and I fell asleep at 8pm the first night we moved into school- so that wasn’t our issue, but our friends have shared horror stories.
Learn how to budget. The biggest tip that my friends and I can attest to is that you spend a lot of money in college. In order to pay for the food that you’ll eat, the rides you will take, and the things that you need to buy in emergencies, you have to have some money saved up. Don’t spend cash frivolously, and prior to your freshman year, if you haven’t done so already, open up a bank account and EARN SOME MONEY. Your friends will be doing so many interesting things that you will want to partake in, so having a cushion is crucial.
There’s a lot of things that no one thinks about the first year they live at school, because there are so many abstract situations that you will never account for. It’s important to have fun with such a new experience, but being prepared and ready for anything life throws your way is also beneficial. Hopefully you will find great people to make amazing memories with, because life is just beginning at this age.
