To all the recent high school graduates out there—as you prepare to enter the college scene for the first time in a few short months, your heads are probably buzzing with all of the information passed down to you from well-meaning friends and family members. You’ve probably heard everything from “college is a breeze” to “college is a drag” to “those were the best four years of my life!” But one thing you’ve probably never heard is “college is really a lot like high school.”
Nope, one thing basically everyone agrees on is that college is a whole different ball game than high school. As you’re bracing yourself to tackle this exciting new adventure of College Life, check out this handy list of six ways that college is different than high school so that you’ll be prepared to face your first semester away from home.
1. You want to go to bed early, but you can't.
In high school, you hated having a curfew. You wanted to be out all night having fun with your friends. Now that you’re in college, you can stay up as late as you want…but you discover that late nights aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. You would love to turn in for the night at nine or ten o’clock, but all that homework won’t finish itself. Instead of longing to burn the midnight oil, you long for a solid twelve-hour sleep cycle.
2. You eat so much junk food that you crave healthy food.
When you were at home, you got tired of hearing your parents say “eat your vegetables!” at supper every night. But after three months of binge-eating nothing but cafeteria food, pizza rolls, and ramen, your mouth starts salivating at just the thought of a home cooked meal. One important lesson you learn in college is that the human body can only survive on sugar and empty calories for so long. By the end of the semester, brussels sprouts have never looked so good.
3. You become a tightwad.
Back in your carefree high school days, you had to had the best of everything—all the name-brand clothes and gadgets, the fancy car, dinners at nice restaurants—but once you move out and start paying for things yourself, you discover the meaning of “pinching pennies.” You spend your hard-earned money only when absolutely necessary, and you always make sure to buy the cheapest brand of whatever you need. You also learn lots of ingenious ways to make do with what you have—the possibilities of duct tape are practically limitless.
4. You actually care about your extracurricular activities.
Be honest—you just joined those 72 clubs and organizations in high school to bolster your college applications and improve your chances of getting a scholarship. Now that you’re actually in college, you’re free to invest your time and energy in the groups and causes that matter to you. Whether it’s a sport, a political club, the school newspaper, or an honor society, you value your extracurricular activities and the power they have to enrich your college experience.
5. Your classes are relevant to your life.
In high school, it was easy to feel like the classes you were taking had no direct impact on what you plan to do with your future. In college, though, you are focused on becoming the best you can be in whatever field you choose to study. It’s so exhilarating to know that you’re not only expanding your mind, but also working to develop skills that will serve you in your career for the rest of your life.
6. You finally learn to value education.
You’ve heard your whole life that education is a privilege, but that point never quite hits home until you’re the one paying for your classes. The cost of college is a huge obstacle, but it does have a positive side—it teaches you to take your education seriously and value every hour of class in a way that you never have before. Education really is a privilege that relatively few people in the world enjoy, and the college experience is a great reminder of just how blessed we are to have the opportunity to further ourselves through study.
So there you have it. College is definitely nothing like high school, but that doesn't mean it's worse! With all its ups and downs, it holds the potential to be one of the most challenging, rewarding, and incredibly fun times of your life. So good luck, graduates! Here's to the awesome adventure awaiting you!
