Rude awakenings

Grown-up?
Just because you are 18 and you can apply to college, buy a lottery ticket, and vote, does not automatically render you mature. Just because you have completed four years of high school, the law considers you an “adult”, and you can travel outside of the country alone, does not render you mature. High school is like running with 45 pound weights on both ankles. You are not going to get very far very fast. You want freedom? You want maturity? You want legitimate experience? You want to be “grown up”? You want to know what real schooling and learning is? Well, welcome to college.

Where’d Mom go?
If you sleep through your snooze button … you better be a fast runner. Mom isn’t here anymore to be your own personal alarm clock. If you don’t like cafeteria food … you better get over your pickiness. Mom isn’t here anymore to make home-style cooking. If you can’t operate a washer and dryer … you better hope your room mate can. Mom isn’t here anymore to wash, fold, and hang up your laundry. If you can’t clean or moderate how frequently you go out … you’re going to have it rough. She is not here anymore to dust your room or make you sure haven’t snuck out of bedroom window on a school night. You’re on your own. Welcome to college.

Choosing this or that.
No one is here to force you to study, attend your classes, get your full eight hours of sleep, five major food groups, or to exercise somewhat regularly. If you would rather go out, sleep all day, facebook, or go to the rec rather than be productive, you can. Teachers no longer hold your hand and principals are no longer buffers. You will go from reading chapters a week to chapters a night. From needing books read in a month to read in a week. The key is to pace. To sometimes opt out of the residence hall football game in order to get things done. It isn’t always a blast, but it will pay off. Welcome to college.

Too much too fast.
Your safe zone has been successfully breached. Your personal protection bubble, popped. Living on your own is hard. Combine that with classes, extracurricular activities, a social life, and personal responsibilities, you’ve got quite a lot on your plate. For some of you the new found freedom will be overwhelming and frightening. For others it will be exhilarating and amazing. Either way it is going to hit you like a freight train; pumping you full of adrenaline, fear, and excitement all at once. Welcome to college, the best TRUE experience you can get.