Hi world! Chris here. Happy first day of fall! It’s officially the best season of the whole year because I can finally start ordering pumpkin spice items without feeling bad about it (I typed this as I was drinking a cold brew pumpkin spice latte). There are several more reasons that fall is the best season, but that’s probably my favorite.

A lot of my younger friends probably aren’t as excited as I am because fall also means that it’s time to start working on college applications! I know most of the regular admissions don’t have deadlines until January and February, but when I was in high school, everyone was super competitive about college so we all applied for early admission. I was so early, I got my acceptance letter from Wilmington before Thanksgiving.

There’s definitely nothing wrong with waiting until the regular deadline, but I would recommend applying as early as possible because you’re chances of getting in are better and you get to find out the outcome before everyone else.

Because I know this is a time of extreme stress for a lot of students, I wanted to use this post as a chance to address some common misconceptions about going to college. Some of them are thoughts I had, some of them are things my friends have told me, and some of them came from research. No matter where I got them, they’re all myths about what it’s like to be a college student.

So yeah, this post isn’t going to be nearly as interesting as the title suggests. Clickbait y’all!

College is full of mature/adult students– Moving away from home and into your own place (even if it’s a dorm room) can make anyone feel like they’re grown up. It helps that the government legally views you as an adult at 18. However, everyone at college is still just as childish as they were in high school. Literally everyone. Professors included.

Everyone knows what they’re doing with their life– This one makes me laugh. I can count the number of people I know that have an actual plan for their future on one hand and we’re all juniors. I changed my major three times before I decided to stick with literary studies. Nobody knows what they’re doing.

Grades are important– Don’t get me wrong, they are important, but only in the sense that you need to pass. All of my professors have stated that (unless you’re going to grad school or some kind of medical or law school) your actual grades don’t matter as long as you are passing. So you should still try your hardest in school, but don’t let it ruin your mental health if you don’t get an A.

Professors don’t care about you like high school teachers do– Most of my professors are tenured, so they actually don’t care if I am passing the way high school teachers do. HOWEVER, if I am having trouble and I ask for help they will do everything they can do help me understand. They’re also not nearly as strict or mean as high school teachers say they are. I’ve gotten extra credit for rapping before.

Finals week is Hell week– This just depends on your classes. Sometimes finals week really sucks and I’m always busy, but sometimes that’s the week I have the most free time out of the whole semester. It’s not always going to suck, but it’s not always going to be easy. It does help to plan ahead though.

It’s a lot like high school– I don’t know why anyone would think this. It’s not right at all. Maybe some high schools are a good preparation for college, but I can’t relate to that. And it’s about more than classes too. The people are completely different in college than in high school. It’s a lot easier to make friends because everyone is just as lost and confused as you are. There are no cliques or anything like that.

It’s really easy to make friends– I know I just said this was true, so I need to elaborate. It’s not always easy to instantly make friends. I didn’t have a roommate for the first few weeks of freshman year, so it took me a really long time to make real friends. It requires effort and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Once you make the first step, then it becomes really easy. And those friends are some of the best friends you ever meet.

You have to spend all your money on textbooks– Don’t feel like you always have to buy your textbooks before the first day of class because half the time the professor changes their mind about buying it. Sometimes you can get a free version online and that’s fine for the class. Sometimes you can make it through the semester sharing with another student. And if it is required, you can always rent a used one, or find them for cheap on websites other than the bookstore website. You just gotta make sure you look into it.

All nighters are a thing– The only all nighter I have ever done was in high school. I had to be at church really early the day after prom, so I just didn’t bother going to sleep. In college, I might have to stay up past midnight to finish an assignment, but I’ve never pulled an all nighter. I admit that I know some people that have, but it’s less than three. Most people live by the idea that if you don’t know it by now, you’re not gonna know it by the test. You’re better off sleeping.

College is the best part of your life– This isn’t technically not true because I love being in college, but it’s also not something to rely on as true. College is great, but it’s also the most stressed I’ve ever been before. However, I would still say it’s the best part of my life so far. Just like high school was the best part of my life at one point. Each chapter of your life should be the best part at that time. Don’t get caught up in the idea that you’re supposed to be the happiest you’ve ever been right at that moment. Just enjoy each part of life as it comes to you.

I have like fifty more myths written down that I planned on addressing, but I don’t want this entire post to be one long rant from me about college. I also know that some of my responses are biased towards going to UNCW versus other colleges, so I decided to get a wider view of the topic by asking my friends some questions. Everyone gave me one word or phrase to describe their experience so far.

“Unpredictable.”

-Taylor J.

This is true for every aspect of going to college. Even if the professor gives you a syllabus for the semester, they can still change their minds out of nowhere and totally reconstruct the whole class.

“It pushes you.”

-Hailey W.

As I said, you need to get pushed out of your comfort zone to make friends. But, college also pushes you to challenge yourself with club activities and classes. It really shows you what you’re made of.

“Transforming.”

-Anna L.

I know I’m not the same person now that I was when I started my freshman year. I think everyone else would say the same thing about themselves as well. I at least think this is for the better.

“Changes.”

-Mick M.

College changes EVERYTHING. Whether that’s good or bad is up to you. It’s definitely what makes things so unpredictable and transforming.

“Opportunity.”

-Eliza R.

I love the fact that everyone gave a different answer, but they all tie together as well. You have to push yourself to take the opportunity, and that can lead to changes in your life that transform who you are.

“Vast.”

-Me!

Almost anything seems big when you’ve spent most of your life in a town so small it doesn’t even have a stoplight, but there’s more to it than that. It’s not just that the world is big, life gets big too. College opens your mind, your friends, and your future. It’s hard to think small after that.

All of us are either juniors or seniors in college, but none of us have actually graduated yet. So, to keep the information fair and inclusive, I decided to ask the same question to some of the adults I know that have graduated from college.

Some of them have graduated within the last ten years and some of them have graduated closer to thirty years ago. Either way, they each gave me a favorite memory or a descriptive word for their time in school.

“Growth.”

-Phil R.

I like that my dad had almost the same answer as Anna. It reiterates that college is the time when you really find who you are and grow into your own person.

“Friends.”

-Jennie R.

My mom’s favorite part of college doesn’t surprise me. She’s always been a really social person. But it does prove that the people you meet in college can be some of the most important people in your life. (Side Note: My parents actually met in college!)

Hot professors.”

-Natalie

This answer both makes me laugh and proves that nobody in college is actually grown up yet.

“Independence.”

-Erin R.

This is one of the most fun parts of college and the scariest. For some people, myself included, it’s the first time you’re completely on your own. There is nobody to fall back on like there is at home. You really have to learn how to take care of yourself.

“Something philosophical I’m sure.”

-Kyle R.

This isn’t his actual quote because Kyle took too long thinking over his answer to actually give me one. I find that pretty fitting for who he is since he’s getting a doctorate in psychology. He’s just too smart now.

I’ll admit college isn’t something that everyone needs. Rae never finished school and she’s still happy with her life. But, she did at least try to go. College is going to have its ups and downs just like any part of life will, but it’s still worth it to make an attempt at going.

Plus, college is where I found Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) and that has completely changed my relationship with God. Compared to that, my degree doesn’t even matter. Sometimes college is meant to teach you about something more important than school. You just gotta go figure out what that is.

I know this post probably meant nothing to a lot of people because you’re already in college or you graduated, but that’s okay. You can use it to help you remember your own time in school. Or maybe it’ll motivate you to get through the rest of the semester. Hopefully it inspires at least one person.

No matter your age or where you’re at in life, stay safe out there y’all! And happy fall!