1. 8 a.m.’s are never a good idea.
I learned this after my first semester when I took an 8 a.m. for the first, and last, time. If you’re not a morning person, these early lectures will be your worst enemy. I’m not sure what made me think that I could learn anything this early in the morning, especially since I dreaded it in high school. No amount of coffee or energy drinks can wake you up enough.
2. A phone call a day means more than you think.
For many of us, this is our first time being away from our parents for this long, and it can take a toll on both them and us. To make things easier, take 15-20 minutes out of your day to call your parents — I promise that just hearing their voices will make you feel more comfortable and at ease. If your family is as tightknit as mine, your parents will probably call you everyday anyway. Answer — especially if you’re an only child or the last child to leave the house. They’re all alone now, and it’s just as new to them as it is to you.
3. Outgrowing people is OK.
Freshman year of college taught me that a lot of your friends are only your friends because it’s convenient. It didn’t take me long to notice a lack of effort, even minimal, in my friendships once I left town. After you notice this, you begin understand that college is all about growth, and there comes a point where you outgrow these people. It’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, it’s a good thing. You are learning and moving forward with your life, and some personalities just don’t align with yours anymore.
4. Home-cooked meals are taken for granted.
Dining hall food seems great… for the first two weeks of school. Nothing excited me about going home quite as much as my mom’s food. Before college, I definitely ate out more than I ate at home, but now I crave home-cooked meals everyday. Don’t get me wrong — the food in the dining halls isn’t awful, but after eating it for months, I appreciate my mom’s food so much more.
5. Your college years really are the best years of your life.
Everyone says it, but it isn’t until you start college that you realize how true this statement really is. I may be biased, but I think it’s especially true for those who move away from home. There’s something about being on your own — that independence planted in you — that makes the experience so much better. The friends you meet, the memories you make and the things you learn all contribute to the amazing experience that is college.