College is a special time in your life. It’s a time for new experiences, adventures, and an excuse to live life a little more freely, because you’re still trying to figure out how to be an adult. However, it’s also a time where we might do strange things. Here’s just a few things we as students do that would be considered weird if we weren’t enrolled in college:
1. Ask your friend where they live/what their schedule is like
Courtesy: Giphy
A college social life is all about communication and coordination, but sometimes the process of making plans can seem a little strange. Whenever I ask to hang out with one of my friends, we usually meet at either one of our places, which follows with the question, “Where do you live?” Or, if you’re trying to meet someone for lunch, asking about their schedule usually is the norm. But in the adult world, asking someone where they live, especially if you’re not too familiar with them, is definitely a little strange.
2. Take a 20 minute nap during a 25 minute break period
Courtesy: Giphy
Being a college student is absolutely exhausting. Trying to juggle exams, homework and reports, a social life, and a decent amount of sleep takes a lot of effort and time management. I know that when I’m taking classes, I’m exhausted 24/7, so I’ll take any chance I get to take a nap, even if that means being a little groggy for the first few minutes of the class that follows my break. I soon found out that there were no nap breaks in the working world, and was slightly disappointed TBH.
3. Complain about early morning classes
Courtesy: Giphy
8am’s suck; there’s no question about that. But, I’m on co-op this semester and I have to be up by no later than 7:30 to be on time for my 9am start at work. Hearing my friends groan about their 8am that they have the next morning comes with waves of sympathy; you hate waking up early for your 8am? Try having to wake up for one every day.
4. Buy a $200 textbook that you will use maybe twice
Courtesy: Giphy
Is it me or are textbooks becoming more and more expensive, especially for a STEM major like myself? At the beginning of every semester, I will always rent/buy a textbook that I think I’ll use a ton, and then for the rest of the class, I’ll study solely using lecture notes and presentations, maybe opening the textbook twice. (I really should use my textbooks more.) Thank God adult life doesn’t require an expensive textbook.
5. Consume an obscene amount of coffee in a short amount of time
Courtesy: Giphy
Coffee consumption goes through the roof during semesters where I’m in class, especially during midterms/finals season. During work, I’m lucky to even have time for a coffee break with how busy I am.
6. Count your food in x number of meal swipes
Courtesy: Giphy
Especially when I was a freshman on the certain-amount-of-meals-a-week plan, I would have to plan my meals out in advance and constantly keep track of how many I had remaining. More often than not, I wouldn’t use all of my meals and would have to buy a ridiculous amount of food at Rebecca’s to compensate.
7. Take advantage of dining halls
Courtesy: Giphy
Admit it, you’ve done this too: you’ve gone to a dining hall with all your tupperware (or some free coffee cups from the tea section) and had a free-for-all. The first time I witnessed this was when I was a freshman eating in IV, and a senior plopped down next to me. I watched as he calmly took coffee cups, stuffed them with pizza, hot dogs, and fruit, shoved them into his backpack and casually walked away. I had never seen this before, and to be honest, it was genius. Unfortunately, once you graduate, you no longer have access to dining halls and actually have to buy groceries instead.
8. Party with no thoughts about consequences
Courtesy: Giphy
Ah, partying. The epitome of college. There’s no other place to have your weekly *~Thirsty Thursday~* than a college dorm or a frat house (if you’re 21 and over please drink responsibly). We’ve all been there for that post-party hangover where you regret stepping out of the dorm on a weeknight when you know you had that important lecture the next day. Hopefully when you graduate, you’ll be a little more timely with your going-out days and only party on the weekends.