Entering this new stage in life known as college can be a very exciting and confusing time in a student's life. Almost every incoming college student has heard something about the way college is and how it will be for them. Here is a list of seven things that you might have heard that are not necessarily true.
1. You never have to go to class.
Sorry! Unless you have a couple hundred people in your
class, the odds are that your professor is going to take attendance and it will
probably end up being counted towards your final grade. Although many
professors give you a certain amount of “skips” you still are going to have to
show up for the majority of your classes.
2. You and your roomie have to do everything together.
My roommate and I got along and had a nice year
together but we rarely did the same things outside of living in the same room
and that’s okay. If you and your roommate become BFFs that’s great and if not
then make sure you at least have a comfortable environment inside of your dorm
room.
3. You will gain the "freshman 15."
The “freshman 15” is completely avoidable (especially
if your campus doesn’t offer the greatest food). From the classic walk across
campus between classes to the gym and to your choices in food there are various
resources that can prevent you from gaining 15 pounds your freshman year.
4. You have to go out every weekend.
Going out can be a lot of fun
but you shouldn’t feel like you have to do that every weekend. There is nothing
wrong with hanging out in the dorms and having a movie night or whatever you
want with some friends.
5. All gen-eds are a boring waste of time.
While this can be very true and you’ll probably have to take some type of gen-eds that you hate, other times you might get to take a class outside of your field that really sparks your interest. Also if you pick up a minor gen-eds are a really easy way to “double dip” by picking classes that can be applied to your minor as well as a gen-ed credit. For example, I have an Acting minor so I took a theater course to get my humanities gen-eds knocked out and it also counted as credit towards my minor.
6. You have to get involved with everything you want to be involved in right away or else you can never be involved with it.
I picked one club to get involved with when I first arrived campus and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I made. As the year progressed I became involved in more and more things and figured out what I liked best and what I would leave behind. Although joining a club mid-semester may seem intimidating because you’re new, many clubs would love to have new members whenever you're ready to get involved.
7. You'll keep in touch with all your high school friends.
I can count on one hand the amount of people I stay
in touch with from my high school class. College is a completely different
world that sends everyone in a different direction at a different pace. It is
okay to move on.
