As a first-year student only a month into college, I already have plenty of experience with feeling lost, confused, and anxious. On top of that, I will admit that I have made quite a few mistakes around campus that any passerby would have immediately recognized me as the "new kid."
And I didn't even have a flashing neon sign above my head that would probably read, "Dazed Freshman." I sincerely hope that I'm not the only one in this conundrum because that would be downright embarrassing. So, I'm calling out all college first-years who have most likely made the following seven mistakes in college already:
1. Missing the bus because you didn't know the routes.
When upperclassmen told me to know the bus routes so well that I could say them in my sleep, I thought they were joking. But, even after the lightbulb moment of "there's an app for that!" I still get confused about which route to take to get to a certain location on campus. So naturally, I've fallen victim to missing the bus just as it left the stop because I didn't realize what time that bus was coming. Technology is hard.
2. Running late for class because you overestimated the reliability of the bus.
On a similar note, on those rare occasions when I knew what route to take and what time the bus was arriving, the app would miscalculate the exact time it was to come and ten minutes later it'll still say "2 minutes away" and I'm stuck wondering how my life came to that moment.
3. Eating too much dessert in the dining hall.
To be honest, I thought dessert in the dining hall was overrated at first. However, as days turned into weeks, I realized that those foods are awesome. From the brownies to the cookies to the moon pies I ate today, there is always something to satisfy your sweet tooth. And as a result, it's been difficult for me to resist those urges and most of the time, end up eating a few too many desserts for my liking.
4. Not doing your laundry properly.
This one isn't that big of a deal, but the first time I did laundry (which was less than a week in, mind you) I only swiped for one drying cycle, which ended up being a terrible mistake. If there's one thing any UNC student knows about laundry, it's that you have to do two drying cycles because otherwise, your clothes will still be wet when you take them out. Silly me didn't remember and thought everything was perfectly fine until I found myself hanging all of my washed clothes to air dry around my dorm room.
5. Sleeping through your alarm.
This has only happened to me once since I arrived at college, but once is more than enough to learn from this mistake. Waking up at 9:50 AM, halfway through your first math recitation, definitely served as a message to me to always set two alarms on any given day, just to ensure that I didn't accidentally skip class too often. I thought I would have no problem waking up, as all of my classes start later than high school.
But be warned, it's a lot harder when you have two lab reports, an essay, and fifty pages of reading due the next day and you end up falling asleep while doing your homework at 1 o'clock in the morning the night before. Oh, and you don't have your parents around to pull you out of bed when you do sleep in.
6. Going out instead of studying for a test the next day.
I've fallen victim to the curiosity and excitement of spending the night out when I have a test or project due on Monday morning. It happens, but I try not to let it become a habit. That high is shortlived because the next morning, your whole body fills with dread because of the mounts of impending work you have to complete within the next 24 hours. Time management is key when the only person looking out for you, is yourself.
7. Taking more credit hours than you thought you could handle.
This is probably the biggest mistake I've made thus far. With an exercise class two days a week, two science classes, a lab, a math class, first-year seminar, and band, I'm always swamped. I'm always exhausted. I think I have permanent raccoon eyes, now. I regret not easing my way into college. I'm trying to tackling Mount Everest when I should have started with Hanging Rock (and even that's a stretch).
Final Thoughts:
Overall, college has been one heck of a ride and I'm thankful for all of the memories I've made thus far. This article serves as a warning to others as to not make the same mistakes that I did. If you're like me and you've done any of the above, it's alright. At least we'll have a good story to tell out of it.
