In the midst of buying out half the “dorm life” stock of Bed, Bath & Beyond the summer before I entered college, there were a couple things I wish I had known before starting my freshman year. And no, it wasn’t just to bring a shower caddy or that I would have a lot of late nights doing homework. I expected that. It was the types of things I wouldn’t just pick up from a college tour or information pamphlet.
The “High School Nerds” are the cool kids in college. While it may have looked cool in high school to skip studying or to just wing an exam, slacking in college is totally NOT in style. You came to college to study, to better yourself and to pursue a career after graduation, so don’t be lazy! It’s the student in class that never does the readings that is seen as the uncool one. Spending hours preparing for an exam is a norm in college and doing homework in the library is actually all the rage.
High School friends aren’t forever. I couldn’t tell you how many yearbooks I wrote in saying “stay in touch” and how many close friends I thought would be a part of my life for a long time. After all, we had just spent the last four years of lives tackling SAT practice problems and all our trifling teenage issues together. But when you’re no longer required to spend five days a week in the locker-lined halls with these classmates and friends of yours, people drift. The girl who you spent hours with gossiping, watching Grey’s with and going prom dressing with when you were 16, may not be a part of your adult friendship group you form in college.
You don’t need to constantly party to have fun. Watch any college-based movie and you’re going to see a lot of red-solo cups, a lot of ping pong balls bouncing into them and a lot of students waking up with pounding heads the next day clueless of what happened the night before. All these movies painted this image in our head that every weekend would be one wild rager and that if we weren’t guzzling down Smirnoff or a Bud Light every Friday, we were doing college wrong. And while yes, I have definitely developed a higher alcohol tolerance after coming to college – not all of my best nights here required me wearing a crop top, and using Sprite as a chaser. Some of my most memorable nights have been pretty low key, where I just hung out with a group of friends and talked. Partying all the time can be tiring, an interference with your schoolwork (oh you know, the main reason why you came to college), and well let’s face it, not the greatest thing for your health.
Don’t be afraid to talk to everyone. While high school consisted of a lot of cliques and social groups, college isn’t like that. Talk to everyone. I’ve noticed that people are much kinder and mature in college, so don’t shy away from someone because they seem a little different. You’ll like some people, and, well, you’ll absolutely hate others. But college definitely isn’t the scene to judge someone from what’s on the outside. You can be friends with anyone you want here- you’ve long graduated from your “clique” and “popular table” days.
You have to take care of yourself. No one is telling you to do your homework. No one is telling you what time to go to bed or what to eat or to remind you to take care of that dirty clothing mountain in your room. You’re on your own girl. College is going to transform you from a fearful cautious girl to a successful, motivated and career-driven woman. But the only way to assure that this happens is to keep on top of things and remember to take care of yourself. You have to prioritize yourself, and this is more than just remembering to complete your homework. Take control of your life!