Nothing screams college more than eating ramen noodles out of a mug at 3:30 a.m. while questioning your existence.
College life is like the feeling of hopeful elation you have on the first day of school when the professor has just finished going over the class syllabus. You assume class will end early so you can go home and take a nap.
Then when the professor opens up Microsoft PowerPoint and immediately goes into the lecture reality hits, like a physics textbook to the face. You look over at the person sitting next to you, staring at the slide on the screen like a deer caught in the headlights, wondering what is going on?
That’s the golden question that college students wonder daily. No one really knows what’s going on, we’re all just really good at faking it. No one is perfect, and the few who know what they’re doing with their lives are the fortunate ones.
I am not one of those lucky ones. I don’t even know what I want to eat for dinner, let alone what kind of career I want to have. I would look at everyone around me and feel so inadequate because I seemed to be the only one struggling. College is hard and knowing that you’re not alone can really help with a rough day.
With College Life #Relatable you can expect to find me every other week getting through the semester just like you. I’ll be writing about what many students are thinking, but too afraid to say. Consider me your Gandalf, Yoda or Spirit Guide through your college experience.
I’m sure I’m not the only student who sometimes feels a little overwhelmed during the beginning of the semester. I wish Dixie State University offered a major in stress with an emphasis in anxiety, because I would exceed expectations in that area of study.
It’s only the third week of the spring semester, and I’ve already sat down in the wrong class, caught myself accidentally staring at someone while zoning out during a lecture, been late for my 9 a.m., had a printer go rogue and print 267 pages one-sided instead of double-sided (so much for trying to save trees), cried to my mom about dropping out, and googled which of my internal organs I could sell and still live.
I have painstakingly learned many college life lessons through trial and error. The free food they have during events on campus is the reason I haven’t died from starvation. I gave up looking good the second day of school because sleeping in an extra 30 minutes is a big deal. Especially when you’ve stayed up all night doing the homework that you put off to binge-watch “Stranger Things” on Netflix. I put the “pro” in procrastination.
So, before I go, I’ll let you in on a couple kernels of wisdom I’ve discovered since attending DSU.
The elevators in the Holland Centennial Commons operate on this strange idea that up is down and down is up. Don’t bother pressing the elevator button, you will only get caught in this elevator trap. Save time and take the stairs; your perfect attendance record will thank you.
Stock up on scantrons from the campus bookstore, and no I’m not talking about a Transformer action figure.
I think it is ridiculous that students have to purchase their own scantrons in order to take tests, but trust me on this one. Once I went to the testing center and forgot to bring a scantron and they wouldn’t let me buy one there. So, in order to make it back on time to take my test, I had to run faster than Usain Bolt to buy one at the bookstore.
Learn from my mistakes. Buy a small package of scantrons and put them in your binder at the beginning of the semester. It’s convenient to have them around when you need one later on down the road.
College has a tendency to sneak up on you when you least expect it. Just know you’re not alone and don’t be afraid to ask for help — just make sure to check the syllabus first.
