The transition from high school to college can seem daunting. You don’t know what to expect going from a school of 600 to one of 60,000. College isn’t all about writing papers and partying, although they may play a role. Here are 8 things that will happen to you as you make that transition from secondary to postsecondary.
1. Your dining habits will change (or be forced to do so): First day of residence dining will seem like a cakewalk. This pizza isn’t so bad, I can deal with this slightly undercooked pasta, that black stuff in the soup is just beans. It may seem great…but come summer break, I assure you that week old chicken sandwich in your mom’s fridge will taste like a platter at a Michelin star restaurant. And that’s a promise.
2. Your academic expectations will dwindle quickly: suddenly a C+ in organic chemistry is the equivalent of making the honor roll at your old high school. Your new motto will be “C’s get degrees”.
3. You will find your crowd: For some it happens 5 minutes after their parents minivan has rolled away from the curb, for others it happens junior year. Everyone settles in high school when it comes to friends, but in university you will meet people who genuinely are passionate about the same things as you. Or genuinely passionate about just being there for you.
4. An 8 AM class is one you will never show up to: when you’ve been up till 4 AM writing that paper that should have started weeks ago or just binge watching Game of Thrones, no amount of caffeine can keep you interested in finding the tangent to the curve. Bless Khan Academy.
5. You will nap, a lot: before class, after class, during class. Nothing is off-limits. 8 hours of sleep you say? Engineers think 5 is glutton for sleep.
6. You will have a crisis about your major: You come to university having your entire career mapped out. Your plans will change, and you may end up on a path you had no idea you were passionate about. Which is the point of college, to crush your dreams and build new ones. That’s why university is marvelous, it prepares you for the greatest journey you will take-the one within yourself.
7. Your roommate will not be your BFF: We all have that fantasy of our college roommate giving the toast at our wedding, ie Marshall and Ted. For the vast majority this is not the case. After 8 months of sharing a 12×12 space they’ve seen you at your worst, it’ll be a wonder if they stop to say hi to you in class.
8. You will have the time of your life: Enjoy these years, you may never get to live just down the hall from all your friends or get the chance to discover whether fermentation sciences is the right career for you. Just don’t become Walter White, okay?
College is all about shedding light on preconceived notions, be it advanced psych or dorm bathroom etiquette. The growth you will experience will not just be limited to the classroom, you will find yourself exploring uncharted territories of all aspects of life. As Aristotle said, “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Get out there and put together the pieces of your puzzle grasshopper.
Featured image via Conner Ching on Unsplash
lol these aren’t really struggles, title is misleading
Nice article