10 Things I’ve learned in College (that have nothing to do with my coursework)

As the first quarter of my college experiences draws to a close, I am forced, due to my excessively sentimental nature, to sit back and reflect on my first 10 weeks of time spent at Ohio University.  As I do so, I review all that I have learned as a newly initiated “college kid”.  Much to my delight (and perhaps my parents dismay, as they are the ones paying the bill), most of what I’ve learned was not taught in any one of the 4 courses I was enrolled in this quarter.  Nope, the things I’ve learned are things they’ll never put in those cheesy “Welcome to College!” booklets you get when you check into your residence hall. Although, I have contemplated publishing my own version with the things that I’ve learned.  But, in lieu of a large, state-funded, publishing budget, I’m forced to make do with this blog.  So here we go:

The things I’ve learned in college (that have absolutely nothing to do with my coursework)

1. The deliciousness of easy mac is directly proportional with the hour of the night.  The later it gets, the better it tastes. (3am = OMG THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE EVER TASTED! 3pm = ugh, did someone put cardboard and cheese-flavored glue in a packet and call it food? Why am I eating this?)

2. Despite having no Friday classes, thus resulting in a 3-day weekend (and 72 hours of freedom), just about everyone can and will wait until 8pm Sunday night to start homework.  Then everyone will be complaining about being awake at 3am in the study lounge, but secretly we love it.

3. Moving into college automatically reverts you to age 4.  Seriously. Since I’ve been here, my diet has largely consisted of ice cream and Lucky Charms, I regularly color and play with chalk, I’ve played “The Floor is Lava” more than once, I take naps just about every day, and skipping is a perfectly acceptable way to walk.

4. With some strategic planning, it is possible to walk up Jeff/Morton Hill only once a day.  (Be prepared to feel like a pack-mule though)

5. It’s not only possible, but extremely easy to spend 5+ hours in a coffee shop with your friends

6. 1 am is the new 9pm

7. No matter how good the dining hall seems (ice cream and all the pasta you could ever want!!!), after 10 weeks, you will be sick of it

8. If you see something weird (A bike made to look like a gondola being ridden around campus, people playing Quidditch, full scale sword fights, a flame thrower on the front lawn of your dorm), just keep walking.  It’s OU. Weird is normal here.

9. You can’t leave 180 (the weekly meetings for Campus Crusade) in a bad mood. You just can’t. If you try, someone will probably stop you and side-hug you into a good mood.

10. A dorm room is like a clown car.  You might think “No way will all this stuff fit in this tiny room!” – but it will.  You will find ways to store things that you never dreamed of