The first week of college comes with many new experiences, people and surroundings. Along with these are the endless thoughts about what is happening all around us. As students experience their first week of college there are common thoughts that undeniably pop into your head. Whether these thoughts are struggles of the first week, an abruptly discovered reality, the randomest observations or claims lacking logical evidence, they come across everyone’s mind. Here are the ten things that are guaranteed to go through every student’s head as they enter college for their first week.
- How am I going to fit all of this in my dorm room?
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Moving a futon, multiple tables and one’s entire closet into a small room seems completely possible when packing everything for college. Everyone says that a dorm room contains limited space but every freshman maintains the thought process that if there is a will there will be a way. Then, once it’s finally move in day and all the boxes and furniture are moved into the middle of the room, there seems to be no way all of those sweaters will find a home in the room. Understanding to pack only what a student really needs is a hard realization to comprehend after only being at college for a few hours thus far.
- If I take the stairs there is no way I will ever get the freshman fifteen
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Every freshman’s worst fear could be defined as gaining the dreaded freshman fifteen. Dorms contain the newfound convenience of elevators which seem so easy to retreat to, but people accept the belief that choosing the stairs will eliminate this from happening. Stairs are exercise so going up these extra flights multiple times a day will be all a freshman needs to keep off the tempting snacks. I can indulge in this slice of pizza because I took the stairs, right?
- Wow, I literally have no free time already
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College appears to enable you to have free time in their schedule to relax, decompress and most importantly have fun. This concept has been is actually completely false. The first week of college becomes consumed by making endless trips to the bookstore (for books, required supplies and, of course, game day apparel), attempting to navigate campus, meeting new people and completing all of the new year new boring activity days. The dreams of watching a movie or having a night out with friends seem like long lost aspirations.
- Athletes are really, really, really tall
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Whether walking past an athlete in the hallway, seeing them from across the street or being forced to sit behind them in lecture (good luck seeing the board), athletes are insanely tall. Talking to one or being near one makes you feel so small as they tower over you. In the first week of college your experience with them can only be classified as tilting your head back solely to make some sort of eye contact with them.
- Dining halls are the best thing ever
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The dining halls appear to be the nicest things during the first week of college; A magnitude of options readily available at your fingers at any time you become hungry. Unfortunately the wide array of options seems to dissipate after you have tried everything three times. The harsh reality sets in that you cannot be sick of the food already at the dining hall because there are still over two months until Thanksgiving Break.
- I can’t believe I have to get to class 20 minutes early
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Class starts at 9:30, I thought! Even if class starts at 9:30, you have to arrive at 9:10 to get a somewhat decent spot and be fully prepared for when the professor starts at precisely 9:30. Professors will always start the exact second their class begins and teach all the way to the end. Do not even think about packing up early, but get there early unless you want to sit on the floor in the back of the lecture hall.
- Remembering names is harder than I thought
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Meeting countless people at every event you attend your first week on college becomes overwhelming. Names, hometowns and majors are thrown at you from every single direction. Chances are you won’t meet these people ever again, but for the people you do see again, forgetting their name becomes utter embarrassment of you just standing there a smiling without knowing what to call them. It’s not horrible if they forget your name too, but if they remembered yours and you forgot theirs …well just be prepared to potentially start off on the wrong foot.
- I think I am lost, like am I even on the right campus anymore?
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Campus is MASSIVE. There are buildings that blend together and names that you can’t even pronounce properly. Streets are swarmed with students trying to get to class and land markers seem to be non-existent. Walking around with Google Maps on your phone becomes the last resort. But when Google does not register the name of your building and you have limited time to get to your next class, be prepared to panic. Also be forewarned that you will look like the typical freshman circling your surroundings attempting to make sense of the maze you are in.
- I will never take air conditioning for granted again
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Air conditioning becomes something everyone is used to. The luxury, which it truly needs to be seen as, develops into a savior for every college student. Attempting to sleep and study in a room where you sweat in even a tank top becomes a nightmare. Resorting to librairies becomes an option but just know you will sweat on your walk to get there.
- Comfort is better than fashion when it comes to footwear
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Walking from classes to dorms to dining halls to sporting games means your feet will be walking a ton! Most people will make the mistake of thinking their feet need to be fashion forward, but this will ultimately only lead to your feet having five blisters, each! You will learn very quickly, and unfortunately the hard way, that wearing comfortable shoes is way more important than having them be the cutest pair you could wear.