There is a certain maturing process that happens in the years of college. As we mature, our lifestyle matures in accordance. Well… I would say this is more in theory. College life is not sophisticated. We don’t clean as much as we should. Nor do we adult as much as we should. The life of a college kid is messy. It’s a little irresponsible. Most importantly, to figure out what kind of adult you want to be, sometimes you have to do things that you know you shouldn’t but you chose to do anyway.
1. Go weeks without going grocery shopping
There are few things that are able to make me climb out of bed once I have descended into my layers of sheets and wrapped myself in them like a burrito. The fire alarm is one of these things… Maybe.. But the other is a definite. The hunger pain that resides in my poor unfed belly is too real. After I manage to crawl out of my cocoon and slump to the kitchen, I open the fridge. There sits my sad little plastic bowl of mostly eaten hummus. There is cereal but not milk. There is hummus but not crackers. There is nothing more disappointing then the sight of NO GROCERIES. Wow, let me just pour myself a nice heaping serving of ketchup and call it good. However, despite the sheer disappointment I feel in this very moment, I still procrastinate on grocery shopping for weeks on end. It truly is a vicious cycle.
2. Not doing the laundry as much as they should
College students slack on their laundry. This is a cliché for the books. Some wait until the mound becomes too unbearable and shove it in their large bag(s) and take a trip home where their parents greet them, love them and do their laundry. Others of us, who are not as fortunate, wait until the pile becomes so unmanageable that they, finally must wash it. Everyone has his or her limits of when the time is necessary. Maybe someone waits until the pile of clothes no longer fits within the confines of a laundry basket or maybe until the laundry smells. Maybe they wait until they no longer have clean underwear, at that point some may even just make a quick stop at Victoria’s Secret to prolong the laundering. My personal favorite is waiting until the pile of laundry is so high that even piece of clothing could be the one to tip the tower. It's like Jenga but better.
3. Pull all-nighters
College is a funny time in people’s lives where they put aside all survival instincts for 1-2 weeks out of the quarter. When midterms or finals week come around, everyone puts aside their basic needs in order to pass their tests. All of the sudden, food, water, bathrooms, oxygen, and most importantly sleeping are no longer deemed essential. For that week of hell, college students are at their peak of stress. This involves, what I have seen to be the major downfall of many, the all-nighters. It is easy to spot them, simply look for the students who have huge bags under their eyes. They might also be doing the walk of shame in their outfit from the previous day and they will also definitely have energy drinks or a cup of coffee…
4. Overdose on caffeine
Not only is the price of Starbucks obscene, but the amount of coffees, or for that matter caffeine, college student’s intake is off the charts. Caffeine is a substance that takes on an acceptable form of addiction. No one is going to give someone a hard time for studying hard and needing an extra boost to keep it going. Whether it is a Starbucks from downstairs or an energy drink from the market, all college students are guilty of this habit.
5. Binge watch Netflix instead of studying
Being tired from staying up studying is one thing; however, being tired and needing to study because Netflix has the automatic play onto the next episode is another. Although college students shouldn’t procrastinate and watch Netflix over study, it happens anyway. I'm just waiting for the day when binge watching Netflix is a difficult course in my curriculum. Until then, my talents of plowing through seasons of one show will wait for their time to shine.
6. Not going to the doctor when they are sick
Going on my 3rd week of sickness I can attest to this fact. Either I am too lazy to go to the doctor or I am too busy, and I’m not the only one. Especially here at Cal Poly, my fellow classmates can attest to the struggle of hiking up the large hill that the Health Center is conveniently located. By the time you get up to the Health Center a slight cold suddenly feels like you are on your death bed. Being sick is simply an inconvenience though, not an inhibitor...
7. Not letting being sick stop them from going out
College is not a time to be sick. What is sickness? What is sleep. Sleep when you are dead! College is supposed to be fun and there is nothing fun about lying in bed and feeling the reality of the FOMO! College is about those “YOLO” moments that happen right before the bad decisions are made. It’s about saying “I have pink eye… But if I wear my glasses and set an alarm to take my drops I can go out!” OR "I'm not that sick! Let me just blow my nose and finish my make-up. I'm ready to go!" Refusing to let sickness ruin what is otherwise a perfect night out is a college mistake we must all make.
8. Ahh… Going out a little TOO much
I mean... It's college. Oops
9. Eat Jack in the Box at 2am
The number one no-no. This is how the Freshman 15lbs or, for that matter, any year 15lbs happen. The dangerous trips to the closest fast food places always end in gorging on tacos and curly fries. YUM! But, the problem arises shortly after a person consumes his/her body weight in this greasy array. Let's call this person Bethany. Bethany, after devouring her tacos, will find her way into bed. Those tacos simply sit there, in her stomach, waiting to be transferred into fat. As Bethany sleeps, these little tacos rendezvous their way a little south and turn into this fat. This fat then sticks to Bethany's thick thighs. Now every time Bethany goes to the beach, she must lather her legs in baby powder to stop the chaffing. Bethany has become so accustomed to these late night snacks that she can't sleep without them, and every night she cuddles with 3 tacos and a churro just to fall asleep. It's safe to say ants have made a permanent residence in Bethany's sheets. Don't be like Bethany. Don't go to Jack-in-the-Box at 2am.
All college students are guilty of their slacking in responsibilities and doing the things they shouldn't. It is a perfectly normal concept to be figuring out life as it happens. After college, we have the rest of our lives to be responsible and have everything figured out. For now, it’s okay to have those “YOLO” moments. It’s okay to make mistakes because that is how we learn, and eventually we will learn to not do the things we shouldn’t.....
But at the end of the day, let's face it... It's just college..
