Wow, it's already been a week into college! I'd like to give future college students a run-down on the expectations and the realities of the first weeks, insight on the homework dump, tips on things I wish I had brought, and an understanding of my personal dorm experience...
Expectation vs. Reality
Expectation of Move-in Day: Millions of confused students hauling their items to each dorm, everything from parking to decorating would be a hassle and I would deeply despise the chaos.
Reality of Move-in Day: Everything was smooth running because Chapman was so organized and had times set up for each floor of students to move-in, so that parking spots would be available and the dorm halls wouldn't be overcrowded. There were guides to talk to and help show you to the best parking spaces near your dorm, and there were carts readily available for use. Even though there were puzzled students, I felt assured that if I had a question, anyone on campus would be happy to answer it. It was sweaty. And exhausting, but in the most exciting way. I slept like a baby that night.
Expectation of Roommates: Please be nice and don't walk in on me while I'm taking a shower. Please. If they snore I will never sleep a day in my life.
Reality of Roommates: Super chill and easy to get along with. We all have a lot in common and respect each others space. Also, they don't snore, which is a plus.
Expectation of Homesickness: I'm going to miss my family and friends so much what will I ever do?
Reality of Homesickness: It hasn't kicked in yet so we'll see lol. But, FaceTime? A necessity.
Expectation of Making Friends: Everyone already has their cliches and finding friends is going to be extremely difficult.
Reality of Making Friends: Literally every freshman is thinking the sentence above. Everyone is looking to find new friends and we are all scared. The important thing is, because everyone is looking for a friend, that means someone is looking for the exact qualities you have. Sure, talking can be scary, but if you try and reach out, someone is bound to reach out back. You'll definitely find your group, don't worry! It'll come.
Homework Dump
Okay, so honestly? Be prepared. It's a lot, especially if you've signed up for more than five classes (and no, I would never do that to myself on my first year). Time management and discipline is needed in order to survive. I managed to get a whole project assigned on the first day of class on Monday (it was due on Wednesday...), and finished it early because I pushed through procrastination.
Anyways, good luck during mid-terms and finals.
Tips On Thing I Wish I Had Brought
I forgot a 3-hole punch which was important when I all the syllabus' piled up. Thankfully, I have one now. Really, the things I forgot, my roommates usually had, so I didn't have to worry too much about this.
Personal Dorm Experience
For me, everything is relatively smooth. Since we have one bathroom, we usually let the person who has the earliest class use it first, and so on. Communication and respect is definitely key to maintaining good relationships with your roommates. Going over rules and boundaries help us know what we like and don't like.
I hope this helped clear things up about college. It's exciting, and I'm pumped for the rest of the year!!!
xx,
Gabriella