Ah, college. The most anticipated experience desired by almost every teenager to finally experience the glory of freedom and to explore many aspects of yourself that you never thought even existed. I’ve been there: I have planned out precisely how to decorate my college dorm since my freshman year of high school -- from what color scheme I want my side of the room to be to how I would organize my shower caddy (I know, super lame but you can’t blame me for being excited).
There’s just something about college everyone looks forward to, whether it’s getting to sleep in the same building as your potential new best friends, building lifelong memories you will always cherish or just to escape the reality that is taking three AP tests the next day along with the SAT that following weekend.
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I haven’t been a college freshman for long, but the differences between high school and college are nothing what I expected it to be like. I have thought many of these were true and I know a lot of people, whether it be parents, high schoolers, relatives or younger siblings to those already in college, still think these are true:
1. "I can totally handle 8:00 am classes because classes have always started at 8:00 am in school."
I honestly do not know anyone that was ever even fully attentive in class during those 8:00 a.m. classes in high school, but there is a HUGE difference between an 8:00 a.m. class in high school and an 8:00 a.m. class in college. In high school, the teacher would teach a relatively smaller class of students and have the students take notes based on what the teacher writes on the board. And let’s be real: there were always those moments you would wait for your teacher to turn around so you could close your eyes for those five seconds of sleep. Unless you want to fail a college class, I suggest you don’t sleep in any of your classes considering your parent(s)/guardian(s) are most likely paying for them.
Professors honestly couldn’t care less if you are on Facebook talking about how pointless their lecture is, but your choices ultimately affect you and your grade. One crucial line of information you chose to not pay attention to could cost you big time on the final. In college, a professor’s version of teaching consists of talking to hundreds of students nonstop while you take notes on what they say continuously. If you can’t give your full attention to the professor and their presentation, you will struggle to pass the class.
2. "I heard college professors are so much better than high school teachers."
The professors in college are unfortunately not going to be there to baby you anymore. You’re an adult now with the responsibility to work efficiently and turn those assignments in on time. Regardless of whether you’re going to a quarter- or semester-system college, the courses you take go much faster than high school courses. There’s a difference between teaching a class of 30-40 students with in-class activities and a professor lecturing 100+ students. Professors don’t need to ask if the whole class has written down the slide on the PowerPoint, or bother to remind you about that one quiz that you have to take online by a certain time.
And just like some high school teachers, some professors go off topic or forget the details of the lesson they are teaching. Not everything in college is going to be fair, and yes, Wifi issues are also not an excuse for not turning in that one big assignment on time.
3. "I'm going to start working out over the summer to avoid the 'Freshman 15.'"
I’ll admit the sole reason I put this one in is because that’s what I was up to my whole summer. I thought that shedding some pounds would give room for me to look how I normally do in the case that I do gain weight. However, once I entered the Student Union, the Taco Bell, Subway, Starbucks and Panda Express were too much to resist. I’m not saying that you will gain the Freshman 15, but it's basically inevitable that you will gain weight, and that is perfectly normal -- it happens to everyone. Your parent(s)/guardian(s) aren’t there to tell you what to eat, so it’s human nature to naturally go for the foods you grew up not being allowed to eat regularly. Also, being around good food is incredibly hard to resist.
You may gain a little cushion weight, but that is nothing to feel bad about considering how easily it can be lost by eating in moderation and exercising.
4. "Homework is optional, so I can just do whatever I want in my spare time."
This one is pretty understandable from a high schooler’s perspective considering all their life they had to do homework that was sometimes pointless to get a good grade. It is true that for most (not all) classes, homework is not inputted into your grade, but don’t go on that Netflix marathon just yet. Homework is optional, but it is “optional." The bucketloads of homework they give them is the gateway to passing the class. Those 50 math problems are the exact same concepts, if not problems, that are going to be on quizzes, midterms and final exams. Doing the homework helps you understand the material and know what you don’t understand ahead of time, so you can have a group study session or a tutor to help you instead of pulling an all-nighter the day before the exam.
5. "Once I get into a college second semester senior year, my life is set."
Probably one of the biggest misconceptions many high school students have is that once you’re done taking the SAT I/SAT II/ACT, AP tests, completing your college apps and gotten accepted to college, life will be a breeze from then on. It’s very apparent high school students work so hard to get the perfect scores and compete against other students all around the world for a seat in a university. However, that does not shy away from the fact that you have to work hard in college. I’ve been through that battle, and I was more than relieved to have SIR’d into college and life felt so calm…or so I thought. After you get into college, you have to put in that same amount of effort -- if not more -- to succeed. That eats up a lot of your time. Homework and studying can take about two to three hours per class to do, and balancing clubs/sports, a social life and possibly a job or two can be a lot to handle -- especially if your major is impacted.
6. "If you don’t drink at a college party you’re not seen as cool."
If you experience any sort of peer pressure at a party, you’re not at the right party with the right people. There isn’t a rule that states you have to drink to have a good time -- you can have just as much fun sober. College parties do embody a big chunk of the college experience, but drinking is a personal choice that you are not entitled to do to fit in. If you are pressured by someone into drinking but do not feel comfortable in doing so, just say so. No one is going to judge you for not drinking. It may seem like it’s a cool thing to do, but know that regardless, it is still illegal to drink/have possession of alcohol under the age of 21. If you are ever caught under the influence, there could be serious consequences.
If you choose to drink though, just be careful and know your limit, never go alone to any party, don't take any drinks that weren’t made by yourself or drive.
7. "I can’t wait to go to college and have a drama-free four years."
No matter how old you are, there's always going to be some drama going on, whether it involves you or something that you've been pulled into. Whether it's talking crap about someone behind their back or cheating on your partner with their best friend, drama is something that is inevitable. It's just unfortunately part of life you can't avoid. There will be drama in college, clubs, work -- you name it. People are very friendly and down-to-earth in college compared to high school, but there will always be people who have never matured and just live to start drama. That's just something that will never change.
8. "I can’t wait to finally leave the house and not have to be under my parent(’s)/guardian(’s) wing"
I commute temporarily for the time being until my dorm is finished with construction because I live close to campus. Yet I still miss my parent’s annoying antics and home-cooked food because trust me, the DC food can get pretty boring to eat. Don’t get how it feels? Let me try to explain it better. You know that saying “with great power comes with great responsibility”? The power resembles your freedom from your parent(s)/guardian(s), which is pretty awesome, and the responsibility part isn’t really such a big deal right? I mean who needs to set alarms to wake up and go to class, remember to eat, when assignments are due, when meetings are, what days tests are, what times to allocate for studying, going to office hours? And if you’re dorming: taking out the trash, doing laundry, changing your bedsheets, cleaning your room, buying supplies? And if you’re working: showing up to work on time, planning when to do homework, save up as much money as you can for things that all students have to buy (such as those $300 textbooks or renting for $50 off of Amazon) and scantrons?
Oh yeah, that’s you.
9. "High school friendships never last when you go to college."
If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I would probably be able to cover my college tuition. I’m not going to lie, I thought about whether I would still keep in touch with my high school friends or not. After entering college, I can say that at this point, some high school friendships unfortunately do cease, either because one party doesn’t make the effort to maintain the friendship or are too busy with college life.
If you and your friend make the effort to message each other, video chat and schedule dates to meet up either over the break or the weekend, the friendship will still last. If a friendship is a true friendship, is worth keeping, and contains commitment, nothing can ever destroy that friendship other than lack of communication. Either way, whether the friendship lasts or not, college is all about having that fresh start to be yourself, branch out and meet new people!
10. "If I don’t get into/go to a good college then I’m a failure."
Honestly, every high schooler goes through this exact thought process. Why wouldn’t you? Whether it’s what your parent(s)/guardian(s) expect of you, what scores you get, comparison with your peers or the way society categorizes what good colleges are, it is completely normal for any teenager to feel that way. Society rates colleges based on its reputation and acceptance rate: the more known a college is, and the less people it accepts, the better the college.
What many teens don’t understand, however, is that once you get into a college, you’re going to be in a pool of students that you have to compete with. There is a such thing as going to a highly-acclaimed university and having lower grades in comparison to your peers as there is going to a normal or lower-ranked college and being in the top 5%. It’s all about putting all the effort you can, and that in itself is a success. And honestly, once you attend college, whether it’s a UC, CSU, private, out- of-state, Ivy League or community, that mentality of whether you will succeed or fail goes away almost immediately. Once you’re surrounded with new students who are all on different boats, it’s so much easier to dictate what path you want to sail on.
You don’t have to meet anyone else’s expectations but your own, and that’s one of the many great things about college.
