What My First Week of College Taught Me

What I Learned My First Week of College

1.       Textbooks are expensive.

Love your textbooks in high school. Kiss them, hug them, and DON’T TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED! When preparing for college I knew textbooks were expensive, but I did not realize how 7 books could add up so quickly. Not only do you usually have to pay for the book itself, but most likely you’ll have to pay for an access code to do your homework. Little bit of advice here DO NOT pay for a brand new book. Most likely you will not get nearly what you paid for it, but you can usually rent a used copy for less than half the price.

2.       Friends are not instant.

Lucky for me I went to the same college as 5 of my other classmates, and only an hour away from home, so I had a couple of people for the first few days. I still had this idea in my head that I would get here and instantly have a super close group of friends. I didn’t, I still don’t. Most nights I’m in bed by 8:30 pm watching Netflix. I’m working on this friend thing though. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. I totally understand how scary it is, especially coming from a small town. Growing up I was pretty much forced to be friends with people in my grade (no offence to them, love y’all) and had no option. Now it’s like a donut shop. Do I pick the one with sprinkles or would I like filling better? Better yet though, pick them all, and don’t relegate yourself to just sprinkles. That is one of the best parts of college. There are so many awesome people; you just have to get to know them.

3.       Your dorm room does not feel like home.

I do not care whatever you say my dorm room does not feel like home. Honestly, I still feel like I’m at summer camp. Regardless of how cute your dorm room looks, or how awesome your roommate(s) are, it is very possible that you will miss your home. That does not necessarily mean missing your parents or hometown, but missing the familiarity of everything. TBH, I probably miss my cats more than anything. Maybe for most people there’s that little thing that instantly means home, but I have yet to find it. As this week has gone on though it seems to be getting better though.

4.       The first day of classes is no joke.

I don’t know if this was just me, but I thought that most of my professors were just going to go over the syllabus, a couple of rules, and then let us go for the rest of the day. This was not the case. My first class on Monday morning consisted of going over the syllabus and rules, but then suddenly we went into it. I was suddenly immersed in the notes (that I had not printed off), and super surprised.

5.       Check your junk e-mail.

In high school I never really worried about checking my e-mail. I especially didn’t stress about junk e-mail. This past week I had been parking in super nice spots really close to my dorm. I had been questioning this strange occurrence, but I hadn’t received an e-mail so I didn’t worry about it. Thanks to my ever present worrying I checked my parking account, where I found my answer. Unfortunately, I had been parking in the wrong spot for about 6 parking citations. I also found out super useful information about a scholarship event that I would have not known anything about. I called the office, and fortunately, Texas Tech was so kind to forgive three of those citations, and I am currently in the process of appealing the others. Also the scholarship banquet is in September, and I have not missed it. Long story short, check your junk e-mail. Even if you have recieved e-mails from the sender before e-mails have the strange capability to end up somewhere completely different. 

6.       Freedom is liberating.

Nothing makes you feel like an adult more than purchasing your own groceries, or leaving without having to ask anyone. I have never felt more independent. I know this sounds super lame, but I never really rebelled against my parents in high school, and the fact that I can stay out until whenever is really exciting for me. With this awesome freedom is also responsibility though. Een though I am enjoying life to the fullest, I still have to budget my time and money wisely.

Overall, college has been amazing. I have met so many new people, and am so excited for these upcoming adventures!

XOXO,

   Darby