Go to college, they said. It will be fun, they said. Okay, yeah college is awesome but what "they" do not tell you is how awful it is at the same time. K, how can something be awesome and awful at the same time, you ask? Well, here is the basic run down of my first year.
1. It hard to make new friends that can even compare to your best friends from back home.
If you are anything like me, you don't really show the real you to just anyone you meet. It takes me a little while to be comfortable around someone to show them who I truly am...which is okay! People come and go and in college you often have different sets of friends. I have friends that I would text to see where they are going Friday night and I also have friends that I would call at 2 AM to complain about a stupid argument I had. These people have not known you your entire life like your friends from home have and it will take awhile to make a bond as strong as the one you have with your best friends from high school.
2. I am tired all the time.
So anyone who knows me knows that I am basically a professional napper. If I can nap for ten minutes, best believe I will do it. If class ends early, I'm going back to my room and climbing into bed. Somehow, I am always always tired. It doesn't matter if I was lucky enough to get eight hours of sleep the night before or I slept for 3 days straight, I go to sleep tired and wake up tired day in and day out. College is hard man.
3. COLLEGE IS HARDER THAN YOU THINK
Okay, sorry for the caps BUT this one is big. First semester was challenging just because it's an adjustment but oh, just wait for second semester. This semester I do not think I had one stress-free week. I had no idea that my brain could even handle as much studying and lecturing it had to endure.
4. You make it work, no matter what.
I complained all the time. I complained about how tired I was, how cold it was, how I was screwed for the exam on Thursday, how I had a massive headache from the last night, and so on and so forth. I guess I thought if I complained about how awful I thought things were they would magically get better. Sorry, K. Things did not get better by magic but things always worked out. I took a nap, I put on a sweatshirt, I found time to cram for the exam, and I popped some Advil. Things always work out even if it seems like it's the end of the world, I promise. It may not be they way you thought things should go but in the end, everything seems to be right.
5. FOMO
FOMO: fear of missing out. Guys, it's worse in college. All your new friends are going to these awesome parties or concerts or fancy restaurants but you just feel like binge watching Netflix. But what if you miss out? What if they take cute pics and post them on Insta? What if all your friends meet the Steelers in South Side but your laying in bed watching Meredith and Derek fall in love for the one thousandth time? Guess what, it is okay. You can make something really awesome happen next weekend. You need to make time for you. My favorite me time is obviously Netflix and reading a good book. Being able to stay in and relax is essential in college.
