Hello and welcome back to The Grow Up Project! Us college students have been getting hit with midterms the past few weeks, and I thought that this would be a great time in the semester to point out the differences I see between college and high school. I’ve put together a list of 5 things that stand out to me at this point in college.
- Meetings: College is all about meetings. I know I’ve said it before because I was amazed at the amount of meetings that I have to go to. Meetings for my volleyball team (on top of practice), weekly student government meetings, professors want to meet with students outside of class. If you want to talk to someone who is not a student while in college, you have to schedule a meeting.
- Tests: I have had all of 1 test (max) per class this semester. ONE. I’m scheduled to have about three total tests in most of my classes, including the final. It’s weird not having a test after every chapter or unit like happens a lot in high school.
- Teachers: I don’t know about you, but most of my high school teachers didn’t have a PhD. Almost all of my college professors do. And surprisingly, these people are honestly very lenient. They take attendance at my school, but not at most bigger institutions. They almost always let us out of class early (there’s a few exceptions, of course). A lot of my professors are hilarious, too. The thing that I like best about the professors at my school is that they care. One of my teammates was going on a visit to a different college this week, and my theology professor called (yes, like on the phone) her to try to convince her to stay. That’s dedication.
- Living Conditions: Okay duh Reagan. But hear me out. Yes, clearly I’m in a completely different place than I would be at home, but it still feels like home to me. I feel like I live in a giant apartment building where I know all my neighbors. Where we hang out and watch scary movies in the lounge. Where we have the loud side of the hallway and the quiet side. Where there’s music playing at almost all hours of the day. Living in the dorms is actually pretty fun if you make it that way. That’s the thing about college, it is what you make it.
My house won the second competition, too! We Escaped! - The People: At my little school in Kansas, we have a lot of people from California. The first few weeks, our dorm hosted several meet and greet opportunities and a lot of people showed up. People from California repeatedly told me that people from Kansas were “so nice”. That we weren’t super judgy or materialistic. Now, despite what some may be thinking, I actually agree with them. And my college showcases that well. I have met some of the most amazing people here on campus. People are really nice because everyone is in the same boat. At the beginning, no one knows each other, then the friend groups form, but for some reason college students are extremely open to meeting new people and trying new things. It’s honestly a great atmosphere.
- BONUS–The Homesickness: I am only 45ish minutes from home. But I have friends who are 2, 3, 4+ hours away. If I get homesick, I know they must, too. Going away to college has its appeal, until you’re there. It is weird being “removed” from your old life. I notice how much I’m missing when I do go home. My siblings are growing up, my pets are getting older, and my high school has changed a ton. You take for granted all of that when you are right in the midst of it. But when you’re gone, even for just a few weeks, a lot does change. And goshdangit, it is really hard to shop for presents for people you aren’t around all the time!
College so far has been all it’s cracked up to be. I love the people here, classes aren’t bad at all (right now), and this is for sure one of the best experiences of my life.
I also want to let y’all in on a little secret. Well, I’ll give a hint. A few of my friends and I had an idea over breakfast for dinner (at 11pm). It involves cameras. Stay tuned next week for the big reveal!
