My perceptions of what college would be like didn't come from my family or even from my teachers in high school, but rather from the media.
The media likes to show college as the time that you waste away drinking and partying, or the time that you gain 20 pounds from eating all of the food in the dining hall. Those are the two "extremes" we see - people who are popular and partying - or people that are "un-cool" and gaining weight from endless cheeseburgers.
More recently though, a new "version" of college life is developing. If you haven't fallen hopelessly in love, married the person of my dreams, and lived happily ever after by the time you're 22, something's wrong (or at least that's what movies tell us).
Anyways, back to the point!
When I first got to college, way back at orientation, I asked some of my new friends what they thought our first year was going to be like... Turns out, I wasn't alone in believing the myths of college life.
Sitting in the grass at 2am on our first night of "freedom," we came up with a short list of expectations that can only be explained by the GIF's below:
We thought we would attend ALL of the parties.
We thought we would eat ALL of the (junk) food.
And lastly, we thought we would ALL find the (wo)men of our dreams.
However, this isn't what we found in college. Instead, we found difficult assignments, great professors that made 3 hour classes feel like 10 minutes, and ultimately, a small group of friends that we would travel the world for and an even smaller group of friends that helped us pick up the pieces when that "love of our life" left, or that "wild night" got too wild.
So here is my advice to you:
Whatever you do and wherever you go, go into college knowing that college is a time to grow (up) and a time to recognize that it's not American Pie or (insert college-themed movie here), but rather a once in a lifetime experience that only a select portion of the world is so lucky to have.
When I first started college, I was barely 18. I had no idea that in three years, I would (with Marymount's help!) grow up to be able to present at conferences, be part of leadership teams like Marymount University Student Ambassadors and Student Government Association, or even that I would be able to travel the world with my university. Three years ago, I wasn't ready (emotionally, mentally, or educationally) to do ANY of that, but because of the professional and stimulating environment of college, I certainly am now. Thanks to all of that, now I'm more secure in my ability to get a job afterward graduation AND I can firmly believe in myself as a true "adult" (rather than a small town girl playing dress up in business casual).
When I first started college, I was barely 18. I had no idea that in three years, I would (with Marymount's help!) grow up to be able to present at conferences, be part of leadership teams like Marymount University Student Ambassadors and Student Government Association, or even that I would be able to travel the world with my university. Three years ago, I wasn't ready (emotionally, mentally, or educationally) to do ANY of that, but because of the professional and stimulating environment of college, I certainly am now. Thanks to all of that, now I'm more secure in my ability to get a job afterward graduation AND I can firmly believe in myself as a true "adult" (rather than a small town girl playing dress up in business casual).
It's really easy to party and eat your way through college, but it's harder to make everything count and to truly learn something. You may be "entertained" by those parties and by eating contests with friends, but are you really getting something out of it? Chances are, your answer to that question is "No."
Trust me, your college becomes your new home - one that is a lot easier to navigate when you're confident, when you make real friends and when you avoid making a fool out of yourself at an "on fleek" party.
Now, that doesn't mean that you have to be a hermit either. Go to big events on campus, try new things, join clubs and organizations. But, like everything you do in college, be smart about it.
If you know you desperately want to intern at the White House, pick clubs that can get you there. If you're like me and you know you want to go to graduate school, join Academic and Honors societies that highlight your dedication to your studies.
You've probably heard this before, but trust me, college is truly what you make it. College only happens once and trust me, everything you learn will in some way help you after graduation, whether you learn it in the classroom or "out in the real world."
If you know you desperately want to intern at the White House, pick clubs that can get you there. If you're like me and you know you want to go to graduate school, join Academic and Honors societies that highlight your dedication to your studies.
You've probably heard this before, but trust me, college is truly what you make it. College only happens once and trust me, everything you learn will in some way help you after graduation, whether you learn it in the classroom or "out in the real world."
