Although the end of freshman year is bittersweet, it is easy to see how beneficial it has been for my friends and I. Our days have been filled with unforgettable memories, countless opportunities, and endless laughter. Reflecting back on my time spent as a freshman, I cannot think of a better way to describe my adventures than comparing them to my favorite show, The Office. College is always an amazing experience, and below are the top twenty instances where The Office perfectly describes the daily lives of freshmen.
1. Shamelessly going to your Monday morning 8 a.m. in your pajamas.
There is no shame in spending the entirety of Monday in your pajamas. Like many freshmen and all other students for that matter, Mondays are difficult. Being able to eliminate the stress of having to put on real clothes and look like a contributing member of society is a huge relief.
2. When everything your professor says is like a foreign language.
There is nothing worse than attending a lecture and leaving even more confused than when you arrived. Professors are smart people, but often times do not know how to "dumb things down" enough to make sense to the majority of the people in their lectures.
3. When packing a snack is the only way to get yourself through a long lecture.
It has been amazing to see the things a student can get away with in class. I have seen with my own eyes, students eating four-course meals in the span of one lecture. However, I won't lie, there is no other pick me up like a really amazing snack during even the toughest lectures.
4. When your parent asks if you are eating well at the Dining Hall.
Day to day dining hall food is never on a spectrum. Either it is amazingly gourmet or absolute trash, no in-between. The only true constant about college dining is when your parent asks if you are eating your fruits and vegetables, and you know you have to say yes.
5. Walking into an exam you are highly unprepared for with your study buddies.
I have learned that no matter how many hours students prepare for an exam, they never feel 100% confident that they are ready. There is no worse feeling than walking to a lecture hall like its doomsday, knowing there is nothing you can do to save your grade.
6. Actually taking the exam you are highly unprepared for.
When you open a test and can't complete the first question, that is an omen for how to rest of the test will go. My favorite thing is skipping the questions that I do not understand and then looking back to realize I've skipped basically every question on my exam.
7. Leaving the exam you were highly unprepared for.
There is no feeling quite like that of leaving an extremely difficult exam. There is a sense of overwhelming relief that it is finally over, but there is also a grave sense of dread knowing your grade is about to drop. Then comes the acceptance of your failure, and you move on!
8. Finding out you actually passed the exam you were highly unprepared for.
There is always a rare occasion where you manage to pull it all off. Nothing is better than being convinced you failed, then getting your exam back and seeing a decent grade. To college students, doing better than you expected is equivalent, if not better than Christmas.
9. When attendance isn't mandatory.
Contrary to what many high school teachers tell you, college attendance is mandatory. However, there is also a rare occurrence that your professor just doesn't care if you show up or not. While I normally try to be good and attend my classes, there is no better relief than escaping a painfully boring lecture.
10. When your professor assigns you way too much.
My favorite thing about college professors is that they have high standards for their students. And by high standards, I mean that they think their students have superpower capabilities that will allow them to complete twelve essays, four tests, seven homework assignments, and watch forty hours of videos "before the next class".
11. Trying to cram the past week of procrastinated assignments into a day.
There comes a point in everyone's college career when all ten thousand of their assignments happen to be due on the same day. It is always an adventure when you push off all of your work to the night before, and somehow manage to complete everything on time and turn it in in a fashionable manner.
12. When your class friends say they aren't coming to the lecture five minutes before it starts.
Class friends are the best kinds of friends because you are all in the long haul together. But there is no sadder feeling than sitting alone in your row because all of your class friends decided to ditch class last minute.
13. When it's finally Friday.
At the end of every week, Friday feels like an accomplishment. After going to class and working hard for a straight week, Fridays are like rewards. Fridays are like the summer break of the week, no responsibilities and no worries to be had, just relaxing.
14. When you and your friends are feeling yourselves before Friday night fun pursues.
Friday nights are for friends and fun! Nothing beats putting on makeup and cute clothes after a dreadful week and finally feeling like a real human being.
15. When it's Saturday and you have to make the most of your weekend before the Sunday Scaries commence.
Saturdays are the best day of the week because you can sleep late, have fun, and not have a care in the world. However, the Sunday Scaries are around the corner and always in the back of every student's mind.
16. When the Sunday Scaries commence.
The Sunday Scaries are real. For those of you who do not know what the term means, it is commonly used to describe the absolute anxiety, chaos, and stress that many students feel when tasked with getting ready to get back to the school week.
17. Looking at your bank account after a weekend of unnecessary spending.
I never understood the problems "broke" college students faced until I was literally pinching pennies just to do my laundry. I don't know where it all goes but there must be a leak in my bank account because money is draining out fast! I blame online shopping.
18. When you know being the teacher's pet will help you receive a better grade.
In college, you have to play your cards right, especially when it comes to flattery. Being the teacher's pet can help you in so many more ways that you could have ever imagined. While some people may look down upon it, all college students know that sucking up to the teacher makes a world of a difference when final grades come out.
19. When someone asks you what your plan after college is.
Getting into colleges and choosing what exact college you wanted to attend was agony enough, but now comes an even more daunting task. What are you planning on doing with the rest of your life? This question is the hardest to answer, and probably the most avoided question all students run from.
20. When you realize that college is only four years.
It is true, while I have spent the past 19 points stressing how crazy and hectic college can be, it is sad to think that soon it will be over. Freshman year has flown by in a heartbeat, and it will only get faster from here. I wish I could press pause and stay in this chapter of my life forever, but unfortunately, that is an unfulfillable dream. I wish it could last forever, but unfortunately, this stage in our life goes by all too quickly. We must cherish these moments before they are in fact the good old days.
