Coming into my freshman year of college, there was a lot that I thought I knew about many of the aspects of college life. Yet within the first few months, I've already realized many of the expectations I had gained from movies and television shows along with stories from friends were much different than what I was experiencing.
Here are 10 aspects of college life that were much different than what I had expected:
1. Professors
In high school, teachers always told us that our college professors wouldn't be as lenient or as lax as they wer, and that many of the things we "got away with" in high school wouldn't fly at the next level. Yet many of the professors I have in my first semester here are the nicest, most relaxed teachers I've ever had. It seems like college professors relate better to their students than teachers did in high school, and actually understand what college life is like. Especially some of the professors that have been here for decades and have seen thousands of students come and go.
2. Roommate
We all have heard roommate horror stories, and since I chose the "random roommate" option on the housing application I was pretty terrified that I was going to get stuck with some weirdo who either wouldn't talk, be a complete slob, or just be a nuisance to live with. Family members and friends reminded me, "your roommate doesn't have to be your best friend, you just need to be able to live together and put up with each other." Yet my roommate has become one of my best friends and one of the people I hang out with most, which is above and beyond what I expected and I couldn't be happier I don't have a roommate horror story...knock on wood.
3. Girls
This is my facial expression most of the time on campus.
Girls. Beautiful. Everywhere. I think I fall in love 43 times every single day. It is absolutely unbelievable to me when I walk around campus and see absolutely stunning girls everywhere. I caught a glimpse of this when I came for orientation, but I was still in for the greatest surprise of my life when I began school here. Do I have a chance with 99.7 percent of the girls I walk past every day? Of course not, but let a man dream.
4. Resident Mentors (RM, RA, whatever you want to call it)
I expected my RM to be like one of the people in this video; an awkward, semi-professional student caught somewhere between being your friend and being in charge of you. We've all also heard horror stories about power-thirsty RM's who take their jobs perhaps a little too seriously and continuously write up residents for violations.You likely had or have an RM like this in your dorm, who when you saw they were on duty that night you made sure to be a little extra careful because you didn't want a knock on your door at 1 a.m. Luckily, I really couldn't ask for a better RM. She's been chill with everything and feels more like a friend than someone who can get me in trouble, even though she's been able to maintain a level of authority and has gained the respect of my roommate and I.
5. Parties
I recall seeing this video as a Junior in high school and was mind-blown. I expected every night of my college life to be the best night of my life. At the beginning of the semester I was going out almost every night, but after taking a look at my bank account I realized this wasn't a trend I could keep up. I learned that I actually need to balance my school work and going out that frequently was not the way to be successful, and I've thankfully been able to slow down, and my liver has thanked me for it.
