This was the first week back on campus for many universities, and let me tell you, during the first week back, a lot of things are going on, a lot of things change, and a lot of strange things go through your head. Most college kids call the first week back to school syllabus week… and they even make the bold claim and call the first week easy. Well, I am here to tell you that the first week of school is not easy, and there are way too many adjustments that need to be made to make this week easy.

1. You have readings… and a lot of them.

Every professor is expecting that you to read at least the first three chapters in every single one of your textbooks. Next, they expect you to take notes on those chapters…don't they know that a week ago I was laying by the pool just trying not to burn, reading and taking notes is just a little bit too much to handle?

2. You wonder where all of these people came from.

I go to a relatively small school, and this year I rolled up to campus expecting it to look exactly the same that it has the past two years. However, that assumption was seriously flawed. The traffic on the way up to school was completely stopped, thankfully for me, I don't have to deal with the parking disaster. But just walking around campus I realized that the amount of people on campus was absolutely insane…I'm just hoping that some of them mysteriously disappear like they do every single year.

3. That first bike ride on campus

This is my first year riding my bike on campus, and let me tell you…I realized real quick that riding a bike is NO JOKE. I rode my bike to the recreation center and I thought I was going to die. Also, you have to learn how to swerve around slow walkers and watch out for flying cars.

4. You realize just how out of shape you are.

After I almost died on my ride up to the rec center, I had to actually, you know, workout. It really proved to me that eating a bowl of ice cream a day and a spoonful of Nutella everyday of my summer really put a hamper on being in shape.

5. You wonder why people ask so many questions.

You know what I'm talking about, when person asks ten times so what's the homework policy? Do we have class over Labor Day? Do we have any tests? Or what is the textbook for this class? There is a syllabus for a reason, and if you would have read it you would know the answers, and we probably could have been out of class a half an hour ago.

6. Food.

You realize how good you had it over the summer, having a full fridge stocked with groceries and a pantry full of snacks… and oh yeah at least one meal prepared for me per day. Now that I'm back living on my own, I have five things from Trader Joe's that cost me $40 and a loaf of zucchini bread that my Grandma made me to survive on…so yeah, that's an adjustment.

7. Maybe I'll dress nicely this year.

This is something I do every single year. I attempt to dress cute and look put together for about the first two weeks of class. But by week three I guarantee that once again my hair will be hidden by a ball cap, and I will be wearing leggings every day… but then I realize that so is everyone else so it's fine.

8. That you kind of missed the craziness.

I thought my summer was crazy, having a full-time job and trying to have a social life was hard enough. Now that I'm back, I have three jobs, class, a social life, a club, and a semi-long distance relationship to balance. Yes, it's super tough, but I realized that I sometimes did miss the craziness that college has to offer.

9. You miss everyone at home.

For me, I got to spend every day of my summer surrounded by family, my boyfriend, my friends, and the little girls I nanny, and I couldn't have been happier. This for me is the biggest adjustment because I miss everyone at home. I just miss sitting on the couch at the end of the day and hanging out with the people I love the most.

10. College.

This is my fourth year of school, and the fourth place that I have lived. Let's just say that every year is an adjustment, but every year is also a new adventure.

Let's buckle down and make the second week even better than the first. Let's attempt to dress nice again and not get mowed down by a car while riding your bike. Let's have fun, study hard, and live it up because before you know, college will be over and these thoughts will all just be distant memories. Here's to the second week.