Treven Sargent, a freshman Exercise Science major from Riverton, and Makai Johnson, a sophomore general studies major from Riverton enjoy a tailgate before a football game. Writer Sydney Johnson says that your social life will be one of the most memorable parts of your college experience. Photo by Misha Mosiichuk.
You won’t regret the change from high school to college because of the new, fun experiences you will have.
Entering the world of being a college student straight from being a high school student is definitely an extreme change. You won’t regret this change because your college experiences will top any of your experiences in high school.
According to Mark Amend, “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.”
This quote is the epitome of what it feels like to be in college, and yes, it is very different than how it feels to be in high school. In college you are truly alone, no teacher hounding you to turn in an assignment, no parents to take you to school, and no one to make your schedule for you; however, the number of resources and support you are able to find on-campus is incomparable to high school.
Choosing classes
Getting to choose your own schedule with either night or morning classes, picking each class and professor you want, and going to class anywhere from only 3-5 hours a day is the highlight of being in college. You get to create a schedule that works for you instead of being forced to go to school for eight hours Monday through Friday.
According to University of the People: “You are in complete control of your time, your schedule, and your study habits. This can be a fun change because you are finally free to study and organize your day in a way that is best and most productive for you.”
For most classes, you will get to decide the days of the week and the time you have the class scheduled. You may even have the option to take a class fully online so you have more time for a job or personal activities throughout your week.
Living with roommates instead of parents
As you do get to choose your teachers, you sometimes will not get to choose your roommates. Living with roommates is a complete 1/80 from living with your parents. This will be one of the best learning experiences you have in college, maybe even more than in some of your classes.
You will not have the curfew your parents set for you anymore; you get to choose your own curfew. Obviously, it is not a good idea to be out all night, every night, but have fun on the weekends with your friends and roommates.
Living with roommates who you have never met before is scary but not a bad thing. This is the best way to meet the best of friends you will have in college. You will have fun living with friends who you go to school with, who are your age, and who will set you up with people who are similar to you.
There are events on campus every Wednesday of the school year for you and your friends or roommates to go to and make memories. My favorite memory with my roommates is the foam dance because of the music, number of people, and creative twist to a college rage.
Social life
Your social life in college will be one of the best experiences you have and will be one of the most memorable parts of college. There are numerous events each week, you will be living near other college students, and you can meet a ton of people in your classes. Most people who come to college come by themselves and are also wanting to make friends.
Keep in mind there are not popular kids or cliques in college like there were in high school. Everyone wants to get to know others so they can have an awesome college experience.
According to College Info Geek: “…college is an opportunity to create the social life you want. It doesn’t matter who you were in high school — in college, everyone starts from scratch.”
Fresh start
Coming to college is a fresh start and a new beginning. If you want to be a whole new person, you can. You can be anything you want to be. You aren’t stuck with the same people you have gone to school with for the past four years.
According to Anna Roth: “In high school, if you have stayed in the same town, you have friends from elementary and middle school. You have a community that you may have grown up in while in college you make a new community of friends.”
Everything you did in high school is now in the past. Your high school grades don’t matter anymore, the classes you took and the mistakes you made will not affect you anymore, college is a clean slate to start new. Go to more events, join a new club, and go out seeking friends, you won’t regret it.
