Television and movies aren’t a true portrayal of what it is really like to be in college. Sometimes it is so much worse because, no, dining halls are not the most gourmet food you are going to eat. Although, other times college is amazing and you find life-long friends.

1. The dorms are small

Like really small. I lived in a triple my first year and let me tell you it was tiny. The three of us were on top of each other. Don’t expect those fake depictions of people with couches and a ton of closet space. It is all about maximizing space.

2. No one cares about what you’re wearing

Everyone I know rolls out of bed and puts on sweatpants or leggings. Unless you have a meeting or whatnot, everyone looks like a bum, not perfectly put together. It’s really too much effort.

3. Greek life is a great way to make friends

Some people put Greek life down as perky sorority girls and party-oriented frat boys, but it really is a tight-knit community. Everyone knows everyone and you have automatic friends in your sisters/brothers. It isn’t necessarily those terrible stereotypes, there are genuine people that you can turn into great friends.

4. You’re not going to attend every sporting event

Especially if you don’t go to a sports school. Even if you are a sports school, you probably aren’t going to be able to go to even one game per sport. I definitely encourage everyone to attend at least one game for every sport.

5. You’re not going to become coffee addicted

If you don’t like the taste of coffee, newsflash, you’re still not going to like coffee even in college. There are definitely other ways to get caffeine into your body without chugging a pot of coffee. You are definitely going to have late nights but that doesn’t mean you’ll end college needing to drink 3 cups of coffee when you wake up.

6. People break down

The stress gets to everyone. Sometimes you just need a release of emotion and have a crying jag. Everyone has been there, no one faults you for it. I cry, you cry, we all cry because it’s college.

7. The freshman 15 is real

You can definitely avoid it if you don’t eat junk food all the time. Personally, I ate pizza way way too often but it was my own fault. Just be conscious of your choices and try to at least eat one healthy meal a day.

8. Learning time management is key

In high school, I used to wait until the literal last minute to finish homework and projects. You can’t do that in college because everything seriously piles up. Start studying early and get your stuff done otherwise it can feel like you’re drowning.

9. 8 AM classes will be the bane of your existence

You think “I get up at 6 to go to high school, why wouldn’t I be able to make an 8am?” No. I don’t know how I was able to make it in high school but I can barely get up for a 9am class. Somehow time isn’t the same. Just don’t do it if you can avoid it.

10. Naps every day

I can barely make it through the day if I don’t have at least a 30 minute nap at some point. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like when I have to be a real adult and work. No nap = non-functioning human.