LJ Idol Week 19 Open Topic - What I Never Knew About College
Let's face the facts here. You enter college with a set goal- go to class as little as possible, party every night, make a ton of friends, AND graduate in four years. Lofty goals I had, right? Now that I'm in my third year of college, I have one main goal- graduate on time. It's a great dream to want to live like the movies, but honestly, in reality, it's not going to happen. I mean, yeah, you can get three out of those four goals knocked out right away, but there goes the fourth, flying in the wind, seven years into your Bachelors. I wish I knew then what I know now, but for those who don't have the experience that oh, so, wise Angela does, here's my list of what isn't in those college brochures.
1. There are classes you can skip, and classes you can't.
I didn't learn this until my second semester of college. Fortunately for my first, I had a friend who was my "twin" who was counted absent for half of the times I didn't go to class. She is the same now as she was then, she's never skipped a class. It helped out then, but not when I was wondering why I was failing my biology class and then realized, "Oh, wait, you mean you can learn things there?" So face it, some classes you're going to have go to. Get those out of the way, and then you'll be set.
2. 8am classes are never a good idea. Ever.
My second year of college, I had the bright idea of scheduling an 8am class, knowing I had to get up every other day to be at work at 8am. I didn't realize that I would lose all motivation to get up a week into the class because I wasn't getting paid. Not only was I not getting paid, but I was expected to listen and pay attention in these classes. Appalled? I am! The gall of some of these professors! 8am classes are not normal. Schedule your classes later in the day, and don't attempt an 8am class unless you're a morning person.
3. Dining hall food is never as good as during freshman orientation.
You walk into the dining hall that magnificent day where you've gotten your student ID and met new people, all venturing into their first year of college. You marvel at the buffet of food waiting for you. You gather a couple plates, sit down, and marvel at how deliciously scrumptious it is. You're satisfied, and have that same feeling when you walk into the dining hall the second week of classes. The first week was scrumptiously delicious as well, and so you're feeling good about this semester. Freshman 15, come at me! You sit down with your plate, take a bite, and want to throw up. Get used to it, you've got four more years of it.
4. Not all frat guys are jerks, and not all sorority girls are sluts.
I have this friend, Ian, who is an amazing guy. He's deep and intellectual, and I enjoy him as a friend. He's pretty hot, too. So it's only natural he has a downfall, right? His downfall was an enormous one- he was in a frat. At first I wondered why in the world someone like him would want to be in one. He explained to me, in one particular talk, that the brotherhood was like a family, and it's not at all what it's made out to be. The same can be said of sorority girls. Not all of them sleep around. If you need a reference guide, check out Greek on ABC Family. It's a pretty accurate portrayal.
5. College is expensive, and will put you in debt.
One thing I did not realize about college when I started off, was that it was EXPENSIVE, and by expensive, I mean I could have 10 cars by now. Money is scarce, and you've got to learn how to budget immediately. Credit cards will ruin your life, but are addicting. You'll learn to love nickle beers at bars, and Natty Light for parties. It's just how it is, well, that's unless you have Daddy's credit card. In that case, you can buy me a couple shots, and you can buy the Corona.
6. Don't buy the textbook until after the first test.
Face it, all of your classes will have required textbooks, and 25% of them will actually use the textbook. Order your textbooks off Half.com, or rent them off Chegg. Or you can buy the textbooks, spend $700 with a promise that they'll buy them back from you at the end of the semester only to realize most of them are being updated, so therefore are useless. Plus, half the professors write their own textbooks and update them every year, just so you never get anything back.
7. Don't be a dick.
Let's face it. We all know they exist. You find them taking up the whole sidewalk and knocking into you when you're juggling your 10 page paper, coffee, laptop, and backpack. They're the ones that stay up all night when you've got a test the next morning, and bang on the walls, keeping you awake. They're the kids that send mass emails saying, "Hey guys, I was [insert various excuse], and I was wondering if you could send me the notes for the entire semester. " when the final exam is in two days. I had a guy send an email like that to me. I told him I would give him a copy of the notes. I printed out the blank power points, gave them to him, and walked away, leaving him to study. Don't expect people to help you out when you're lazy. Be an adult, but still have fun.
8. Declare your major as soon as possible, but don't declare the wrong one.
Colleges are kind of broad. Signs are pointing in all directions saying "Here! Here! Here!" to all different kinds of career paths. The biggest mistakes you can make are 1) Declaring a major you aren't interested in and 2) Not declaring a major at all. This will ruin any chances of graduating in four years, and will just make number 5 on this list a hell of a pain. I have declared 5 different times, and it took a lot of wasted money before I learned what I really wanted to do.
9. Have goals, have interests, and pursue them.
Goals change. Interests change. As long as you have some, and you keep working towards them, you'll be okay. I had no idea when I entered college that in three years I would be the president of an organization, a double major, working three jobs, and about to put on a benefit concert by myself. I never believed I could do any of these things, let alone be happy doing them. My goals have changed, my interests have changed, but I've actively pursued them and that's what it's all about. Which leads me to my last point.
10. Do what makes you happy.
If you don't like going to athletic events, don't go to the football games. If you don't party, don't awkwardly make your way through Greek Row. Don't change yourself to be like everyone else, and lose who you are. Everyone on your college campus is unique. Every student brings a uniqueness that no one else can, or will. It is up to you to embrace your individuality, and flourish because of it. Like taking walks and not touching any cracks? Create a group, and I'm sure you'll find someone who shares that quirk about you. Amongst tens of thousands, be one, be yourself, and do what makes you happy.
Also important, but not important enough to be mentioned in a list:
Long distance relationships from high school don't work out.
You will get sick in the dorms more often than you ever have.
Dressing up for class becomes a rarity after a couple of weeks.
Don't expect your high school friends to be the same at the end of your freshman year.
There is 1 parking space for every 12 cars. That being said, the first week of classes, the other 11 will be fighting you for that space.
1. There are classes you can skip, and classes you can't.
I didn't learn this until my second semester of college. Fortunately for my first, I had a friend who was my "twin" who was counted absent for half of the times I didn't go to class. She is the same now as she was then, she's never skipped a class. It helped out then, but not when I was wondering why I was failing my biology class and then realized, "Oh, wait, you mean you can learn things there?" So face it, some classes you're going to have go to. Get those out of the way, and then you'll be set.
2. 8am classes are never a good idea. Ever.
My second year of college, I had the bright idea of scheduling an 8am class, knowing I had to get up every other day to be at work at 8am. I didn't realize that I would lose all motivation to get up a week into the class because I wasn't getting paid. Not only was I not getting paid, but I was expected to listen and pay attention in these classes. Appalled? I am! The gall of some of these professors! 8am classes are not normal. Schedule your classes later in the day, and don't attempt an 8am class unless you're a morning person.
3. Dining hall food is never as good as during freshman orientation.
You walk into the dining hall that magnificent day where you've gotten your student ID and met new people, all venturing into their first year of college. You marvel at the buffet of food waiting for you. You gather a couple plates, sit down, and marvel at how deliciously scrumptious it is. You're satisfied, and have that same feeling when you walk into the dining hall the second week of classes. The first week was scrumptiously delicious as well, and so you're feeling good about this semester. Freshman 15, come at me! You sit down with your plate, take a bite, and want to throw up. Get used to it, you've got four more years of it.
4. Not all frat guys are jerks, and not all sorority girls are sluts.
I have this friend, Ian, who is an amazing guy. He's deep and intellectual, and I enjoy him as a friend. He's pretty hot, too. So it's only natural he has a downfall, right? His downfall was an enormous one- he was in a frat. At first I wondered why in the world someone like him would want to be in one. He explained to me, in one particular talk, that the brotherhood was like a family, and it's not at all what it's made out to be. The same can be said of sorority girls. Not all of them sleep around. If you need a reference guide, check out Greek on ABC Family. It's a pretty accurate portrayal.
5. College is expensive, and will put you in debt.
One thing I did not realize about college when I started off, was that it was EXPENSIVE, and by expensive, I mean I could have 10 cars by now. Money is scarce, and you've got to learn how to budget immediately. Credit cards will ruin your life, but are addicting. You'll learn to love nickle beers at bars, and Natty Light for parties. It's just how it is, well, that's unless you have Daddy's credit card. In that case, you can buy me a couple shots, and you can buy the Corona.
6. Don't buy the textbook until after the first test.
Face it, all of your classes will have required textbooks, and 25% of them will actually use the textbook. Order your textbooks off Half.com, or rent them off Chegg. Or you can buy the textbooks, spend $700 with a promise that they'll buy them back from you at the end of the semester only to realize most of them are being updated, so therefore are useless. Plus, half the professors write their own textbooks and update them every year, just so you never get anything back.
7. Don't be a dick.
Let's face it. We all know they exist. You find them taking up the whole sidewalk and knocking into you when you're juggling your 10 page paper, coffee, laptop, and backpack. They're the ones that stay up all night when you've got a test the next morning, and bang on the walls, keeping you awake. They're the kids that send mass emails saying, "Hey guys, I was [insert various excuse], and I was wondering if you could send me the notes for the entire semester. " when the final exam is in two days. I had a guy send an email like that to me. I told him I would give him a copy of the notes. I printed out the blank power points, gave them to him, and walked away, leaving him to study. Don't expect people to help you out when you're lazy. Be an adult, but still have fun.
8. Declare your major as soon as possible, but don't declare the wrong one.
Colleges are kind of broad. Signs are pointing in all directions saying "Here! Here! Here!" to all different kinds of career paths. The biggest mistakes you can make are 1) Declaring a major you aren't interested in and 2) Not declaring a major at all. This will ruin any chances of graduating in four years, and will just make number 5 on this list a hell of a pain. I have declared 5 different times, and it took a lot of wasted money before I learned what I really wanted to do.
9. Have goals, have interests, and pursue them.
Goals change. Interests change. As long as you have some, and you keep working towards them, you'll be okay. I had no idea when I entered college that in three years I would be the president of an organization, a double major, working three jobs, and about to put on a benefit concert by myself. I never believed I could do any of these things, let alone be happy doing them. My goals have changed, my interests have changed, but I've actively pursued them and that's what it's all about. Which leads me to my last point.
10. Do what makes you happy.
If you don't like going to athletic events, don't go to the football games. If you don't party, don't awkwardly make your way through Greek Row. Don't change yourself to be like everyone else, and lose who you are. Everyone on your college campus is unique. Every student brings a uniqueness that no one else can, or will. It is up to you to embrace your individuality, and flourish because of it. Like taking walks and not touching any cracks? Create a group, and I'm sure you'll find someone who shares that quirk about you. Amongst tens of thousands, be one, be yourself, and do what makes you happy.
Also important, but not important enough to be mentioned in a list:
Long distance relationships from high school don't work out.
You will get sick in the dorms more often than you ever have.
Dressing up for class becomes a rarity after a couple of weeks.
Don't expect your high school friends to be the same at the end of your freshman year.
There is 1 parking space for every 12 cars. That being said, the first week of classes, the other 11 will be fighting you for that space.