Now that I've been in my freshman year of college for a little over a month now, I thought it would be fitting to share six things that I've learned so far.
1. Every Man For Himself
In college, a lot of walking is done outside going from class to class. However, a lot of people decide to take the bus, drive or bike and that's completely okay. It is extremely important to be cautious of the other people, though. While most vehicles will stop for pedestrians, you'll be quick to realize that's not always the case. One minute you'll be rushing back from your afternoon class because you're so exhausted, and then you'll reach a crosswalk. The car is waiting for you to go and you're waiting for them to go, so then at the same time you guys move ahead and then end up in an awkward predicament ; and then this ends up in you quickly speed walking to the other side. People should also be aware of all the bicyclists that come speeding down the road. One second you'll be peacefully walking and then all of a sudden one will zoom right past you and you'll barely dodge it. This goes to demonstrate that in a fast paced campus environment- it's literally every man for himself.
2. Sleep Is For The Weak
If there's one thing I've heard a lot on my time on campus, it would be "I'm so tired." While many of us didn't get much sleep during high school because of a heavy workload then, it seems it's even worse in college. With so much work due and multiple test/quizzes on the same day, sleep tends to be last on the list for many.
3. Finding a way to conquer time management
With all the new allotted freedom that graces us with the freshman year of college, it can be difficult to figure out how to handle it. You'll want to go socialize with some friends, go to an event that the university is hosting, throw in a quick nap during the day or even get ahead on a few assignments. But, then reality will put you in check and you'll realize that you have an assignment due at 11:59 p.m. and the last thing on your mind will be socializing. Planning your day out and giving yourself time for everything is important because without time management, all your responsibilities won't hesitate to pile on. As DJ Khaled often talks about keys, time management may just be the key in college.
4. To be grateful for air-conditioned hallways
As silly as this sounds, it's very true. In most of our high schools we were indoors and had the luxury of going to our next class in a matter of a minute. However, in college you're outside walking from building to building. This is even worse when the temperature is scorching hot and you have a full day of class. The heat really takes a toll because you wake up tired from a night of homework and studying, and then to add on to that, the heat makes you feel exhausted. So, by the time you make it back to your room, you're tired, hot and sweating buckets. Talk about a great time.
5. Falling Asleep In Public Places Is Acceptable
I would like to give a shout out to college for allowing me to realize that I can now fall asleep anywhere at anytime. Looking around, you'll definitely spot a few people taking a quick nap. It seems to be a norm in college and I'm totally okay with it. You'll never realize how tired you are until your in the library and you're eyelids start to feel heavy and next thing you know you're out. At this point, no one will even point you out or make fun of you because in the end, they can relate.
6. Do it for the free stuff.
For some reason, free things in college are essential to a student. It seems to be a currency for students nationwide. No matter what it is, anything free can make a students day. It may be because we're now on our own and another free thing means it's another thing that we don't have to pay for. Another plus to free things, is that it's also a good way to lure college students into coming to events. A lot of events make it a big deal to have free food or a free t-shirt and maybe even both-if we're lucky. So, if events do have free items, you can basically expect the whole campus to attend.
Of course this is just a minor part of all that I've learned so far over the span of my quick month as a college student and I look forward to seeing what else freshman year will teach me.
