The concept of college can be a really scary thing to a kid right out of high school. How will I make friends? What if I fail my classes? How do I live without my mom!? All thoughts that go through every college freshman's head before moving in. The truth of the matter is, college is a lot more fun than not, and after two weeks, you'll wonder why you were ever scared in the first place. The unknown is a scary thing but the differences between high school and college are really not that bad.
1. Having class at 8 a.m. the next morning and still deciding to go to out.
We all do it, making the decision we immediately regret the next morning as our alarm sounds at 7:20 a.m. and our hearts break; getting convinced by your friends or that cute frat boy to go to a party on a Thursday night, even though you have an early class the next morning. We can't say we're proud, but we can say we sure had fun.
2. Having to figure out on your own what the homework is and when it's due.
It may come as a huge surprise, but when it comes to college, professors don't hold your hand and make sure you know what's going on at all times like most teachers did in high school. As a college student, it is now your responsibility to keep track of your syllabus and to actually read it to know important dates for tests, quizzes, homework, etc. Luckily, most professors have a copy of the syllabus online, in case you're still in the habit of a high school student and, well, throw it away.
3. Saying you have no money and actually meaning it.
"Do you guys' have any discounts for students?" will become a commonly used phrase in your vocabulary once you become a college student. It's probably something you won't understand until you're in college and you have to make the $20 you found on the ground the other day last you three weeks.
4. Having to walk to get to your classes.
Yep, you read that right, in college, you have to walk to class. And I don't mean walking from the cafeteria to the library that are both in the same building, I mean walking (and sometimes sprinting) from building to building. Hopefully, the majority of your classes are within a manageable distance and you don't have to run across campus from your class that gets out at 10:50 a.m. to your 11 a.m. (like me). On the bright side, you quickly become an expert on shortcuts to take that will hopefully give you those five extra minutes of blissful dorm-bed sleep. Tip: Never, ever walk to class without an umbrella. You never know what mother nature has in store that day.
5. Doing your own laundry.
If you're like me, and your mom is awesome, you grew up not having to do your own laundry (unless you needed a specific article of clothing washed and it wasn't a laundry day). In college, unfortunately, you do have to do your own laundry, but on the bright side it really is not that bad. My best advice is to not wait until you literally have nothing left to wear and have to resort to smelling the clothes in your hamper to make sure no one can tell it's dirty, or, if you're like me, waiting so long that not all of your dirty clothes can fit in the dryer and half of them don't even actually dry.
6. No longer feeling the need to shower or "get ready" before class.
In high school, I used to wake up an hour before I had to leave for school and shower, do my hair and makeup and overall make myself look presentable because I felt the need to impress people. Looking back, I have no clue how I spent an hour every morning getting ready because I can hardly even wake up half an hour before my 8 a.m. to put sweats on. In college, no one cares what you look like, so the majority of kids you see walking to class have a hat on and haven't showered in two days, and hey, it's perfectly fine.
7. Not having your parents called when you don't go to class.
It is both a blessing and a curse, and it's something that can really hurt your grade. Skipping class can be really easy to do at first since there's no direct consequence, but in the long run, deciding to sleep through those few early morning bio labs can leave you way behind and not knowing what's going on. Yes, that extra hour of sleep was nice, but you'll regret it when you have to pull an all-nighter trying to teach yourself the material. My advice is to not get into the habit of skipping, but if you are going to skip, choose so sparingly and maybe chose a class that you're doing well in or that doesn't take attendance. Sorry, mom.
8. No more home-cooked meals.
It's one of the few bad things about being away at school; your Sunday dinners go from homemade pasta and garlic bread with a side salad, to pizza, whatever else they may be serving in the dining hall, snacks in your dorm and, you guessed it, more pizza. You quickly learn that you should've spent more time eating what your mom made for dinner instead of going out to dinner with friends, because eating out and dining hall meals get old really quick and they make you appreciate the things your mom or dad used to make, even if it wasn't always your favorite.
9. Teachers not knowing who you are, let alone even knowing your name.
You can't take it personal, but nine times out of ten, professors won't take the time to learn student's names. Unless you go out of your way to introduce yourself or go to their office hours, odds are you'll be asked "And what's your name again?" multiple times throughout the semester.
10. Appreciating home.
If you say you don't get homesick, you're lying to yourself. Being away at college, even if you're only 45 minutes away like me, you start to actually appreciate home a lot more than you ever did in high school. You begin to miss everything about home, the sights, smells, your bed and even driving your car if you don't have it with you. As awesome and freeing as college is, I will always wish I didn't take my home for granted and will always have a much bigger appreciation for it now that I'm not always there.
