Beginning college is one of the most exciting times in a person's life. But what happens when all the excitement starts to wear off? Here lies the common stages of being a college freshman with the help of a hospital's patient pain scale, because it can definitely be painful!
Stage 1: Bliss and Excitement
The zero on the pain scale, this is the very beginning, when you are moving into the dorms and have that awesome excited feeling. This stage is full of smiles and energy and a whole spectrum of hope for what's ahead.
Stage 2: Nervous and Scared
This would be a one to two on the scale. The excitement is still there, but now you are internally freaking out. This typically begins the first or second day after moving in and can last about a week, depending on the person. You are afraid that you won't find friends, nervous about how college will go for you, and are trying extra hard to be cool and find your people.
Stage 3: Cool and Collected
Now that you have found your friends and have an idea of your place in school, you are feeling much more calm. I would rate this as a one on the pain scale. Classes have not gotten time-consuming or scary yet, as this is just the first couple weeks of school.
Stage 4: Welcome to College in its Realness
Remember all the syllabi you received in your classes that first week? Prepare for a jump to the five on the scale, because it's getting real now. Your teacher has a paper she wants you to turn in week five, and it is now, well, week five. Oh, and remember the journal assignments and chapter readings you also have to keep up on every week. Keep those syllabi where you can see them at all times! Freaking out and staying up all night to get the paper done helps, too.
Stage 5: What are "Midterms?"
Hello, week eight, and hello beautiful eight on the pain scale. Midterms could make up anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of your class grade, so yes, you DO need to study. Did I forget to remind you that you have six classes to do this for? Have fun choosing between studying for a week straight or having a life.
Stage 6: I Think I've Got This
You have experienced and gotten through midterms, you feel comfortable getting around campus by now, and you're feeling pretty good (I would say a solid three on the scale). Things calm down after midterms typically, so you feel like you can kick college in the butt if you're getting those small assignments done.
Stage 7: Do I Even Need an Education?
A couple of weeks before finals, it all hits the fan. You have piles of assignments and papers to complete, an actual established social life, and a bed that you do NOT see enough of. This is the wonderful 10 on the pain scale, when you have no idea what sleep is and live off of Mac and Cheese between classes and studying and going on ice cream runs with your friends. Oh, and more studying. On the nights where you are sitting at your desk and looking longingly at your bed, you wonder to yourself, "Do I even need an education?" Well, that depends on if you like McDonald's enough. Push through it though, you've got this!
Stage 8: Thank the Lord
Now that the semester and the final exams are all said and done, you can now relax with an extended Christmas break and wonder why you even sweated it. You kick back with a lovely zero on the pain scale and stuff yourself with Christmas cookies because, hey, you deserve it. After completing your first semester of college, you feel like it IS worth it and you will be graduating before you know it (just seven more semesters, right?!).
