5 Things That Were Reaffirmed By Going To College

1. People are annoying.

And they’re everywhere. Literally, EVERYWHERE. If you thought high school hallways were crowded then clearly you have not felt the wrath of obnoxious 20-somethings being all up in your face. In the library. In lecture. In the bathroom. In bars. In your dorm room/student house. And even online. You’ll notice how many Facebook friends you’ll rack up over the years. (Don’t worry, you’ll come to your senses soon enough and delete the unnecessary ones).

2. Not everyone is the same.

You are exposed to people from various cultures and ethnicities throughout your undergraduate career, some of which you probably thought didn’t even exist on your end of the world. It’s like a whole new dimension. Not only that but you’ll learn that there are a lot of weirdos out there too. Don’t assume everyone is normal and mentally stable, because that cute old lady on the bus may actually be a crack head. I’m just kidding. But not really. Don’t freak out. Embrace the weirdness. Try to avoid the crazies, make a new (normal) friend and learn something new.

3. Not all your best friends are forever.

How ironic is it that this is the next point? It’s not. I put it in this order on purpose. But really, I can guarantee during your undergrad you will realize which friends are worthy of your time and which friends are simply worthless. People’s true colours come out when new things get thrown at you everyday and people’s priorities change. If your friends follow a similar transformation, then you can grow together. If not, then you’ll grow apart. Plain and simple.

4. You can’t leave shit to the last minute.

I learned this the hard way, but hey, at least I learned. I treated my first two years of University studies like high school. Laid back. Nonchalant. And before I knew it I found myself going from high school honour roll student to barely-making-the-cut freshman. It took me half my undergraduate career to realize my marks weren’t gonna cut it if I had any desire for post-grad schooling. So I pulled up my socks. I started (and finished) assignments weeks in advance and even found myself going to bed at decent hours. Who knew sleep was possible before 2 am?

5. No one knows what they want in life.

As a recent university graduate, I sure as hell don’t. As a matter of fact, I don’t think anyone does. I don’t think anyone can honestly say they believe they ended up exactly where they thought they would be. You may have an idea of what you want in life, but trust me that is going to change about fifty times before you graduate. This is what happens when 16-year-olds are being pressured to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. I’ve been there and I know it’s scary, but the only way to figure out what you like is to figure out what you don’t like. You can’t be afraid of the possibility that you’re not gonna end up where you think you’re supposed to be in life. Just figure things out as they come. Breathe. You’re going to make it out just fine.