I’m not here to tell you what to expect from college. All the college “hacks” or “things you should know” that are manufactured by Elite Daily or Her Campus are written by people that graduated years ago and have a very hazy view of their four years.
I had read so many articles and seen so many college movies and thought I knew what it was all about. I had dreamed of the day I would smash a hippie’s guitar against the wall, but was arrested before I could touch a fret.
Our expectations don’t always meet reality. There are many goals people set for themselves the start of freshman year. They expect to make lifelong friends on the first day, and fall in love with learning and find themselves. This may or may not happen. College is fun, but I’d be lying if I said it’s the best four years of your life. For some people it is, and that’s fine. Other people reap their golden years after graduation. Others, like myself, peaked in third grade.
When people ask you how you like school and if it’s as great as you thought it was going to be, you can say no. Don’t feel inadequate if you’re not getting the most out of your college experience. Maybe you’re having a rough semester, or a rough three semesters. There may be times when you need to drop a class, a friend or even a semester and that’s OK.
It’s difficult to make generalizations about these next four years. In this upcoming year, or maybe over the next four years, you might come to think that college isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You may experience periods of doubt or anxiety and wonder if you’re doing everything all wrong. They are often glossed over for the glamorous stories of frat parties and day drinking, but these feelings are there and are normal. They may not seem relevant five years from now, but they will test you during your time here. There are plenty of resources to help you combat these feelings. Your health is paramount and should always take priority over your studies.
OK parents, now it’s time to cover your eyes. When it comes to sex and relationships, you set the grounds for them. Believe it or not, your peers have more to worry about whether you’re a virgin or not. Your love life is as private or as public as you wish to make it. Don’t compare yourself to your roommate who gets all the action or the roommate who gets no action. Sex isn’t a race. If it were, it would be very dissatisfying.
There will be important skills you pick up in college. Like prisoners, college students are very resourceful. You will learn quickly how to ration ramen or carve a shiv out of a toothbrush. You will learn that some people are not worth your time and you should drop them like your next mixtape. So be excited, but not deluded. Keep your head up and you might actually grow to like, dare I say love, being a Bearcat.