If you were born in the mid 90s, chances are you came across one of Asher Roth's most popular songs called "I Love College". Roth enlightened our curious minds with his thoughts about college which gave us insight into what college is supposed to be like. I don't know if any of us ever truly believed his explicit words and ideas, or wanted it to be true, but surely we hoped college would be as fun as he was portraying it. Unfortunately, there are some things Roth failed to mention.
Here is Asher's song:
If I was Asher Roth and made an "I Love College Part Two," here's what I would say:
1. You might find yourself all cozy in bed one night and realize all you had to eat that day was a granola bar and Mac n' Cheese.
You'll become so wrapped up in your mental list of chores and responsibilities for the day that you'll forget to sit down, breathe, and eat an actual meal; It'll become a rare occurrence when you actually eat something hearty and healthy. Reverting to a pre-made item with zero nutrition is often the easiest and fastest thing to do when you're attempting to get a handle on the rest of your busy life.
2. You'll become a temporary slob because... well, you have no choice.
Forget trying to make your dorm look like something out of PB Teen because chances are, you'll be too busy with homework, classes, clubs, and part-time jobs to even think about this magical place called "Cleanliness". Want to clean up your room on Sunday before the week starts so you feel organized and neat? Don't bother, because chances are, by Friday, half of the floor will be cluttered with clothes and other miscellaneous items.
3. The friends you make in the first couple weeks probably won't be your friends forever.
The first week of college everyone is desperate to make friends with at least one person, so you'll probably lower your standard of friendship and settle with whoever you can find. Sometimes you'll meet someone wonderful and you'll hit it off right away. However, don't be too desperate to find someone to hang out with or you may end up with the type of person you usually don't care for just because you don't want to be lonely.
4. Your roommate probably won't become your best friend and that's okay.
Even after taking the roommate test, the person you end up living with may not be what you were hoping for. You and your roommate might not "click" or agree on a lot of things, but you have to remember, it's a temporary situation and you are under no obligation to become best friends with them. All you and your roommate need is mutual respect and trust for one another.
5. Taking care of yourself when you're sick sucks.
Getting sick for the first time in college and not having your mom, dad, or some family member to bring you soup or a cold wash cloth is tough, but eventually you'll learn how to self soothe or find someone to help take care of you. Remember that your loved ones are only a phone call away!
I accept and understand that Asher Roth's song wasn't meant to be taken seriously and didn't give the true image of what college is, but I do think these five things are something incoming freshmen should be aware of if not already. College is a time of adventure and growth, and all of this- good and bad, is a part of the crazy, fun process. My best piece of advice is to embrace all that college offers, but use your good judgement and common sense along the way so you don't get caught up in dangerous situations. It's easy to lose sight of your vision and plan, so work hard, play hard, and college will be an enlightening experience.
