Common Misconceptions About College Busted
Second semester of my senior year of college is here. Oh boy. I am equally excited and terrified. Education, in general, is a sore subject for me because my academic career has been quite stressful. I am far too much of a perfectionist because anything less than perfect is unacceptable to me. I spend more time at a desk than anything else.
Of course, when I was coming into college, I had a lot of ideas of what I thought it would all be like, which only made me more nervous. You don't really know what it is like until you are there experiencing it firsthand. You hear both horror stories and fantasies. From my perspective, neither are particularly true.
Since there are so many things that I didn't know or had wrongly assumed prior to my venture, I thought that I would share these misconceptions for those of you who are heading away for the first time. Hopefully, my insight may better prepare you for an experience unlike any other you have had before. If I could have had this information going in, I would have perhaps had a totally different college experience.
My misconceptions about college...and the realities I found:
Misconception # 1. College is a big deal
Reality: Remember when you thought high school would be a big deal? Well, we were all wrong about that. Adulthood is a big deal. Buying a house, getting married, having kids>>> big deals. College, not so much.
Misconception #2. You will be treated like an adult/it's nothing like high school.
Reality: I've heard more students complain and get away with crap more than I ever did in high school. In fact, almost every single class I've ever had ended up having things removed from the syllabus to make the workload even easier. As long as the syllabus looks good, what actually becomes of the semester doesn't always matter to the professor.
Misconception # 3. It will be the best four years of your life.
Reality: Or the worst. Definitely been the worst four for me, but my opinion is only one out of a million. Some people love college, others don't. It is not the same for everyone.
Misconception #4. You will find your friend group in the first semester and everything will be perfect.
Reality: It took me all four years to find a friend group that fully allowed me to be myself. My last year will be my happiest. The first three weren't so easy.
Misconception #5. You will not make any friends.
No, you will make friends. Everyone is in the same boat coming in, so you will all be desperately scrambling to find friends. Meet as many people as you can and then you can begin to figure out who actually vibes with you. It's a process, and sometimes a long one, but thing will work out, I promise.
Misconception #6. You need to decorate your room like those Pinterest pictures.
Reality: Every year I bring less and less stuff because no one has time to decorate in the first place. A picture or two of family and dogs is all you need (maybe a Keith Urban poster) but nothing more. Also, anything you put on the wall during move-in will definitely down in the heat.
Misconception #7. You're going to absolutely hate it.
Reality: A week before I left for college I was convinced I wouldn't be able to handle it. While I was wrong about my capabilities, I'm still not a huge fan of formal education systems in general. It's more of a strong dislike, not so much hate.
Misconception #8. Everything about college will be hard.
Reality: Adjusting was actually very easy. Some struggle more than others.I'm terrible with change, yet I survived. I've also taken some ridiculously easy classes. In my opinion, the hard thing about college is time management, not necessarily the coursework -unless you're a premed/math/science student - everything else is doable with the right focus and use of academic services.
Misconception #9. The academics of the school that you read online and got in pamphlets is accurate.
Reality: Without going into huge detail, if I was aware of this, I would 100% gone to a different school and been a different major. Applying to schools because their academics look great and because they have the areas of study you want, yet getting there and it is nothing like you anticipated, is the worse.
Misconception #10. Orientation will be fun...just like those pictures.
Reality: I've yet to find someone who enjoyed orientation.
Misconception #11. Everyone parties.
Reality: I don't party. My closest friends don't party. You can survive college without drinking every weekend, I promise.
Misconception #12. You will find your soulmate.
Reality: Ignore every statistic your school has ever told you about the number of people who find their spouse at school. If schools accurately gave out their statistics, we would all be aware of so many more rapes and drug busts on campuses. Ignore the idea that the media portrays about finding your future spouse altogether.
Misconception #13. You will have it all figured out when you're there.
Reality: Senior year and I still don't know what I'm going to do. Neither does anyone else.
Misconception #14. All of those APs and college credit classes will be worth it.
Reality: None of them were worth it, and the stress they caused me sure took years off my life.
Misconception #15. All that hard work in high school is worth it.
Reality: Nothing makes me regret working my ass off in high school more than sitting in my college English class with 30 students who lack the ability to read out loud.
Misconception #16. All of those things those tour guides tell you should do while you're there, need to get done.
Reality: Example: "You need to ride the stag statue before you graduate"
News Report- "student seriously injured from riding the stag statue"
Misconception #17. You're going to be the only one who thinks of transferring.
Reality: Over the last few years, I speak to more people that want to transfer than want to stay. I also lost a ton of friends every year.
Misconception #18. Transferring means you messed up.
Reality: Some people are happier elsewhere, and good for them for making that decision. It's better than staying unhappy.
Misconception #19. You NEED leadership positions.
Reality: You can make any position into a leadership position if you word it correctly.
Misconception #20. Join a thousand clubs. That's how you meet people.
Reality: By the time you get to senior year, you will maybe be in one club, possibly two. And chances are you will never go to a meeting and be inundated with emails you will never read.
Misconception #21. You are going to gain the freshman fifteen because the dining hall is horrible
Reality: No, you're going to gain the freshman fifteen from drinking, or from ordering Domino's every night because "everyone says" the food is bad. Colleges are stepping up their game on providing healthier options. It is all in what you choose.
Misconception #22. You're going to go to the gym all the time
Reality: Free gym = great bod. Well if you have the time or energy to actually make it there more than once a week then good for you.
Misconception #23. You always need to do things with a buddy
Reality: Getting food by yourself is normal. Going to the library by yourself is normal. No one is going to point and laugh at the kid all by himself/herself. In fact, you may come to wish that you had more time alone.
Misconception #24. You need to add every major a professor tries pushing you into.
Reality: They say they don't get a bonus for pushing you into a major or a minor but they totally get something. Add what YOU want, not what professor says because they don't know you.
Misconception #25. Having a roommate is going to suck
Reality: Honey it's the best lesson you'll ever learn and I can think of a million things that are worse.
Misconception #26. Going home too soon or too often means you're at the wrong school.
Reality: No, going home means you have a healthy and loving family that you miss. Everyone goes home. Don't listen to what anyone else thinks.
Misconception #27. It's going to be better than high school
Reality: College is high school, except you live there.
Misconception #28. "Darties" are cool
Reality: It's called alcoholism. They only other people who drink during the day are alcoholics.
Misconception #29. Wearing your lanyard for the whole first semester is a good idea
Reality: The true sign of a freshman. Don't do it. Without a lanyard, no one knows what year you are.
Misconception #30. Rate my professor is the most important thing ever
Reality: False. While it is a helpful tool, students respond to professors differently -and some students are just lazy and poorly rate professors that made them actually work. One professor (who is the reason I changed my major) was actually one of the lowest rated Communication professors, but I love her.
Misconception #31. Your GPA determines everything
Reality: Your GPA means nothing. Unless you're beyond failing, then you get kicked out.
Misconception #32. Everything you did in high school, you need to do it in college
Reality: Field hockey, honor society, dance team, this, that, and the other. NO NO NO pick one,maybe two, and be done. Nobody has time for that.
Misconception #33. Everyone looks forward to college/going back, and not feeling the same means you're at the wrong school
Reality: I'm a senior, I'm still at the same school, and I still cry on move-in day. I wish I was kidding about that.
Misconception #34. You need to fit the mold
Reality: The only time you don't want to stand out in life is if you are in a hostage situation and there's a gun.
Misconception #35. You can't pass up a single possibility
Reality: If you say yes to everything, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Misconception #36. All of the stuff you bought at Bed, Bath and Beyond will be used
Reality: Maybe like two things will come in handy. Set up your room, look around when you're done, then decide what else you need.
Misconception #37. That all-nighter is worth it
Reality: It's never worth it
Misconception #38. Going to class sick is worth it
Reality: I went to class with a concussion and it so wasn't worth it.
Misconception #39. Going home on the weekend means you're missing out or are "no fun"
Reality: Missing out on what? The sound of people drunk screaming outside your window at 2am? I'd rather be with my dogs, but that's just me.
Misconception #40. College is where you can reinvent yourself
Reality: If you reinvent yourself, you won't feel comfortable with the new people you attract. Be yourself.
Misconception #41. Now that you're independent, you have to do everything you can't do at home
Reality: Just because your parents aren't there doesn't make foolish choices any less regretful. Be smart.
Misconception #42. What you think you're going to do when you start is 100% going to happen
Reality: This maybe happens in .0000002% of the time.
Misconception #43. You're going to stay in touch with everyone from home
Reality: There are friends from high school I haven't spoken to since before high school even ended.
Misconception #44. Going to college guarantees you a great job
Reality: Unless you're magically capable of getting a minimum of five years work experience while you're in school, maybe, but college education doesn't cut it for job applications anymore.
Misconception #45. College is going to be exactly like you picture it
Reality: You will have a dozen ideas in your head about what college holds and you will most likely be wrong about all of them. Everyone is different and everyone has a different take on the experience. Go in with an open mind, be yourself, and listen to yourself and your feelings. Never let the thoughts/feelings/opinions of others get in the way of you leading your own life, and you will succeed.
What are some of your thoughts on college life if you have been? Or if you have yet to go, what are some of your concerns? Perhaps I can give some advice or calm any of your anxieties.
Until next time friends,
Stina:)