It’s probably safe to assume that most people reading this have seen Pitch Perfect. News flash: this is not really what first semester of college is like. Most of us don’t sing flawlessly in the shower and attract the attention of an upperclassman who decides to barge in on us and demand to hear us sing. (We do, however, wish that we bore any likeliness to the flawless Anna Kendrick). Unlike Beca (the character Anna Kendrick plays in the movie), most new college students are seeking to find their “clique,” or to be more politically correct “niche.” She originally thought that she did not want to be part of a clique, but found herself in just that when she became surrounded by a group of girls who had nothing in common but their ability to sing so well together. Here’s some clarification about the lies our media and society tell us about the first semester of freshman year:
1. Myth: “AP or IB classes in high school will prepare you for college.”
Truth: Even if you got a 5 or 7 respectively on the AP or IB test, the difference in college classes is the ratio of time spent in the classroom to time spent studying on your own time. For many of us starting out at prestigious universities like Michigan, we have never had to study very much or try too hard in high school. Just paying attention in class (which is often only 3-4 hours a week) and completing the homework assignments will not be enough to prepare you for your first college exam because Professors are expecting that you are spending about 8 hours per week on that subject outside of the classroom.
2. Myth: “Freedom is the easiest and most exciting thing about college.”
Truth: For many students, college is the first time that they are away from their parents or even their hometown. This is obviously exciting and a huge part of growing up, but what people fail to acknowledge is that this is scary! Everyone gets homesick at some point; whether home is 5 minutes or 500 miles away, the change of environment still takes some adjusting to.
3. Myth: “It’s exactly what you see on Instagram.”
Truth: We are all guilty of only posting the highlights of our lives on social media. Nobody wants to share with all 500 of their instagram followers or facebook friends that they failed their first math quiz or tripped up the stairs this morning in front of the cute guy who sits behind them in Spanish. Just because your friends from high school or new people who you are meeting from various areas of college life aren’t sharing that they are also having a hard time adjusting doesn’t mean that it is not true.
4. Myth: “Your roommate has to be your best friend.”
Truth: Your mom or friends from high school who are older than you may have told you stories about how they found their maid of honor or “girl gang” by becoming very close with roommates or friends on their dorm hall. Some of us are lucky enough to find a group of people we live near who we can count on for anything (6th Fisher <3), but this is absolutely not the case for everybody and it does not mean that you will not find your group of people elsewhere. Making friends takes time put in, effort, and persistently putting yourself out there! If your roommate or people on your hall don’t seem like the kind of people you want your college friend group to look like, get involved! You will be told this a million times, but joining clubs (like Her Campus) is a great opportunity to get to know people who have common interests with you.
Images Courtesy Of: Rachel Eisner, Google Maps, Sportslogos.net