To me, the summer after high school graduation was probably the best experience of my life. Filled with lazy days at the beach and late nights at grad parties, it was both exciting and sad, as it ushered in the next chapter of my and my friends' lives. Coming from a big family, my summer experience also included countless reminders of what to do, but mainly not to do, in college.
Don't waste your money! It's not all about partying! Learn to manage your time! Always wear shower shoes! Study! And again, study!
While this constant beat down of advice felt like a never-ending carousel of clichés, more often than not, my families advice has held true. Yet like every teenager which has graced this Earth before me, to start my year I once again chose to ignore near everything I was told (though I always wear shower shoes, if you don't that's just nasty).
It's sad to say, but only two weeks into my collegiate freshman year I have some regrets. Habits I've already built, am not proud of, and probably will need to change. Though I would hope that you would take my advice and learn from my problems, the belief that it would make a difference is foolish, and instead, hopefully, this acts like a little comedic relief for your mindset move back to school.
Within the first couple of classes during sylly week, it rapidly became obvious to me that work in college would be far more difficult than the Kahoot's and Quizlet's of high school could overcome. People aren't lying when they say college is hard. For me, homework and readings on the first day of class were unheard-of and getting used to taking notes from a verbal lecture rather than PowerPoint was a chore.
Nonetheless, in that first week of classes, I knowingly made my first mistake, I began watching "Game of Thrones."
Yes, "GOT" (to abbreviate) is an Emmy award-winning show which does have mild educational value (mainly in the sense of morals or if you wish to become fluent in the Dothraki language), but it also is a severely addictive cinematic masterpiece which leaves you unable to prevent bingeing. Out of "GOT" spawned two fairly destructive habits, procrastination, and a poor sleep schedule.
Work, including this article, has become second to finding out who will end up as King or Queen of Westeros (I just started season five, so please, no spoilers). Rutgers as my enabler (HBO streaming is provided free for all students), I, like many of the people freed by Daenerys Targaryen, have become enslaved to the future of this fantasy world.
With the loss of time and time management, another habit which has overtaken my college experience is failing to use meal swipes, instead simply not eating or just getting takeout. Let's face it. No matter what school you are at and no matter how good your dining halls food is, it will quickly get old, and effectively suck. It's tough to get up early and walk what feels like miles just to get powdered eggs and rind-filled coffee when a protein bar in your room or the Dunkin' Donuts on the corner seems far more appealing.
But what most college students fail to realize, including myself, is that meal swipes are basically money. The cost of an average meal swipe at most universities is $8, so while it may seem easier to sleep in or get breakfast on the go, you are actually losing you, or your parents a significant amount of money but not using them up. And trust me, the "don't waste money" aspect of collegiate advice is very true, laundry is expensive, books are expensive, basically, the whole scam of college expenses are well, expensive.
Last, but certainly not least, comes the infectious desire to go home. While having your family 10 minutes away seems like a major perk, in some ways it has actually limited my college experience. Deciding to go home to do laundry and grab a decent meal typically turns into me spending the night, and it becomes harder and harder to justify communal bathrooms and hard mattresses when I sleep on my Tempurpedic at home.
While most college students likely never face this struggle and probably laugh when I call it one, home is really tempting. I'm a social guy. I like going out, hanging out, and eating out, but in the first few weeks, it's been hard to argue with the comfortability. I guess it does make sense that after spending 18 years in the same house with the same people, it's hard to change. Then again, college has once again upheld another cliché and taught me again that change always is.
