9 Things That Are Only Considered Normal In College

College is a whole new world. It’s this little community of people who have seen you at your happiest moments and at your not-so-happy moments. We can thank our college campuses for providing a safe haven of people that aren’t going to judge us for puking outside the library at 11 am or being totally underdressed in sub-zero temperatures because we don’t want to carry our coat around to the bars. While high school was filled with judgmental eyes, there are a few things that we as college students accept here in our little bubble we call campus.

     1. Telling someone you have totally stalked them on social media.

While in high school you’d probably get the reaction of an oh-that’s-a-little-weird face, that’s not the case in college. At a college party, the stalkee would probably throw their arms around you, admit they’ve stalked you, too, and you’d become best friends for the night.

     2. Wearing pajamas in public.

I’m the kind of person who shows up to the dining halls on Saturday and Sunday morning looking like I just got ran over by a truck, because frankly, I’m too hungry to shower and too hungover to care. And I’m also judging you if you took the time to look nice. As for 8 am classes? We’re all going immediately back to our beds to sleep until our next class, so it’s a no-judgment zone.

     3. Day-drinking (or drinking on a weeknight) for no particular reason.

If you do this in high school, you’ve probably got even bigger issues than a drinking problem. And if you do this once you’re out of college and with a career, you’ll probably be looked at as irresponsible or immature. In college, your friends are likely to cheer you on or even join you in taking an 11 am shot, even if they are in the middle of doing their homework.

     4. Drinking coffee at all hours of the day.

Drink coffee for breakfast, lunch, dinner — heck, drink coffee as a midnight snack. Spike your coffee before you go out. Wake up in the middle of the night and make coffee. College students thrive off the caffeine and don’t judge if you’re walking home from the library at 2 am with a freshly-brewed cup in hand. We’ve all been there.

     5. Having a 100-plus-second Snapchat story of nothing particularly interesting.

It’s like clockwork: on Saturday and Sunday morning, my Snapchat is packed with stories from virtually every one of my friends — mostly of boys performing some drunk stunt, or of girls screaming along to “Blank Space,” with their friends as if it was the greatest thing to ever happen to them. Just keep flipping through them, it’ll all be over soon.

     6. Pre-gaming hard to save money.

Why buy a single bottle of beer at the bar for $3, when you can get a 6-pack at the grocery for much cheaper? Whether you’re keeping the 6-pack to yourself or splitting with a friend, college students have learned the ropes in terms of saving money, when it comes to alcohol. Let’s not pretend that we haven’t heard of someone smuggling a water bottle of vodka into her purse. You do what you have to do, right?

     7. Wearing the same outfit two (or three)…times in a row.

If we go out on a weeknight and wake up in something cute it’s acceptable to wear it to class, right? Plus that sweatshirt is really comfy and it’s really not worth hiking to a laundry room if you want to wear it again the next day. After all, the Monday/Wednesday/Friday classmates don’t see you on your Tuesdays and Thursdays!

     8. A dining hall plate of foods that don’t go together at all.

If you want pancakes and a side of green beans with a diet coke, by all means, go for it. With buffet-style dining halls, a meal that “goes together,” is too much work when you’re starving. Save the perfectly-planned meals for Mom and her home-cooked dinners.

     9. Sleeping in strange places.

You’re too paranoid to leave your clothes in the laundry room, so you find a nice bench (or even the top of the washers), and settle down for a snooze. Who cares? You’re already setting an alarm to remember to go get your clothes, so it all works out. Just don’t try this in a public Laundromat — they might not be so accepting.

Believe it or not, college will end one day. Your friends won’t be across the hall for you to crash with when you just don’t feel like sleeping in your bed — and you won’t always have unlimited dining hall food. Take advantage of these little college quirks. We’re all in the same boat.

Featured Image via screen grab from Universal’s Neighbors.

6 COMMENTS

  1. 100-plus-second Snapchat story of nothing particularly interesting is not normal. It’s actually pretty annoying.

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