College May Not Be Quite What You Were Expecting...It's Better!

Ah yes, I remember high school. I remember the long days, the bizarre dress code rules, and the teacher biases against some sites such as Sparknotes. I also remember coming to college for the first time and how daunting it was. But you know what? College really isn’t what I was expecting it to be!

First off, you get to choose your schedule. How cool is that?? Last semester I never had class on Fridays. This semester I don’t start until noon each day. I’ve been able to tailor my schedule to what works best for me based on my sleep schedule and other commitments I have going on.

Secondly, it seems so strange to me to think back to when I wasn’t allowed to take my backpack into my classes (they had to be left in lockers), or when kids could walk around with saggy pants and chains, but no one was allowed to wear a hat. Though my school has a dress code, it’s centered around common sense and modesty. i.e. hats are fine. And thank goodness.

Thirdly, (and yes, I know how juvenile it is to list things out like this. Let’s just call it my list of grievances against public schooling) believe it or not my teachers actually encourage me to use Sparknotes and Wikipedia to supplement what I’m learning in class or reading for homework. Though they shouldn’t be primary sources, they also aren’t taboo sites to be avoided at all cost.

Getting to a college campus can be very intimidating at first, but you get used to it. If you’re anything like me (help the world if there are tons of people like I am) you’ll end up color-coding your schedule with a map…..at the beginning of every semester . Believe it or not, it helps. Also, when you see the list of all the GE classes and required classes for your major don’t freak out. You’ll get there eventually! I promise! For all my worrying about everything I’ll need to get done, I’m actually going to be graduating early.

Not all colleges are party schools, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be miserable. Just learn to have fun and take advantage of what you’ve got. Most of all, quit worrying. Life has a way of taking care of itself. It’s just up to you to take advantage of the time in front of you.