First Semester of College - My Experience! | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Education

First Semester of College - My Experience!

I honestly had NO idea what I was getting myself into.

22
First Semester of College - My Experience!

There are so many stereotypes out there when it comes to college, and NONE of them are actually true. After my first semester of college, I have learned so much about myself and what it really feels like to be an adult. I had sworn to myself that college would be EXACTLY what I had imagined it to be based on movies and books, and I was totally wrong.

To the girls who think that they found the perfect roommate, whom you met on the facebook page...

c1.staticflickr.com

To be COMPLETELY honest. The chances of finding your roommate on the facebook page of your school are slim to none. Over the year, you'll find yourself meeting new friends, and some you'll find more interesting than your current roommate(s). I personally found myself getting annoyed quite often; there wasn't much communication on her end and it got stressful at times. I had talked to her over the summer and we hung out occasionally, but she turned out to be a whole different person once I had started to live with her. After a crazy few days towards the end of the semester, I had packed up and found new roommates. We get along with SO well and I am so happy to have made the room change while I could. I was pretty skeptical at first about meeting my roommate over facebook, but after all the stress, I highly suggest going random. There's nothing worse than suddenly feeling uncomfortable sleeping in the room that you CHOSE to be in!

You'll never appreciate home cooked meals as much as you do until you realize you can't have them when you want them.

c1.staticflickr.com

Everyone loves a home cooked meal. Once you go to college, your list of options becomes small, and you find yourself going absolutely crazy. During the first 2-3 weeks you experiment with the food in the dining hall, and suddenly you'll find yourself walking to Panera for lunch, or Dunkin' for breakfast. The options given to you at college are NOTHING compared to what you get at home. Mom's homemade Mac N' Cheese turns into mixing pasta and cheese sauce, and the juicy, flavorful chicken becomes one of the driest things you'll ever eat (at least at my school it is). Learn to appreciate family dinner...you'll miss it more than you think.

Get Involved!

c1.staticflickr.com

Get. Involved. It may feel very tempting to hide in that small room you pay thousands of dollars for, but get out there! Getting involved on your campus is one of the number one things that everyone you meet will advise you to do. It is such a great way to make friends, meet new people, build lifelong relationships, and experience things that others may not. I got involved by joining Theta Phi Alpha, a sorority through my campus. So far I have met the most amazing girls in this entire world and I couldn't be anymore thankful for them and everything they do. Also, I was lucky enough to get the best big sister any sorority girl can dream of! Campuses offer many extra curricular activities that anyone can join as long as YOU make the effort!

Don't overpack...it isn't permanent.

c1.staticflickr.com

It's safe to say that I still don't take my own advice on this one, but one thing you do not need to worry about taking your entire room at home with you to college. The space you have at school is so much smaller than the space you have at home. Don't assume that you have the room to yourself and pack everything you need and don't need to bring with you. Bring the necessities. For clothes, mainly bring comfy clothes, and a couple going out shirts and jeans for when you wanna dress up or go to the city with friends. The space you are given on campus will never compare to the space you have at home, it will fit less than half of your stuff too. Save the time and effort of moving so many boxes and totes.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

172
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1504
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2339
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments