12 things I learned during my first semester of college

While reflecting on my first semester of college, I decided that the only way to properly sum up my experience would be to make a list of things I’ve learned thus far, completely excluding the actual education part.

(1) Never, under any circumstance, will I say no to a home cooked meal again. 

Even with the occasional chicken-parm, baked potato bar, or our famous “Commonsgiving” Thanksgiving meal, college dining hall food will never compare to the luxuries of a warm, fresh, fully cooked meal from home.

(2) No one, even the ones who claim they do, know what they are going to be doing with their lives after school.

For the longest time, I thought that I was the only person on the entire campus who was completely clueless as to what I was going to be doing after college.

Turns out, I was certainly not.

This made my scatter-brained, indecisive self feel much more comfortable around a bunch of geniuses.

(3) Writing a 20 page paper is actually achievable.

I successfully finished my first 20 page essay and simultaneously discovered that it is possible to stare at  a computer screen for 3 days straight.

I also discovered about 15 different ways to say the word “portrayed”.

(4)  Professors are people you will actually want to get to know.

They are such interesting, talented, cool people.

And if you make the effort, they will want to get to know you too.

(5) People are awesome.

This one speaks for itself, but living in such close proximity to people who prove this on a daily basis has made me much more aware of its presence.

Whether its little things or large actions, I’ve learned for the most part, people are good.

(6) A lot of times, a quiet night in is better than a night out.

After an exhausting week, my roommate and I found sometimes the best nights were nights spent eating ice-cream and watching movies in our pajamas.

(7) Everyone is sick, all the time. Literally, all the time. Don’t trust anyone.

The freshman plague hit me hard around the middle of October and lasted until about Thanksgiving.

After a recovery at home, I proceeded to get sick again the minute I returned to campus.

The CVS clerks became very used to my presence in the medicine aisle.

(8) Dressing nice for class is a legitimate accomplishment.

Many of my classmates, specifically those in my 8:15 art history class, probably believed I lived in my pajamas. No shame.

(9) Naps are 100% essential for functionality. 

Whether I snuck one in between classes or before practice, I found that a 30 minute nap could make all the difference. Pro tip: Purchase black-out curtains.

(10) There are ways to spice up the cafeteria food… Literally. 

After the first couple weeks of classes, I found I was getting pretty bored with the food in our dining hall. It turns out, there were ways to get around this.

My Dad left me with our favorite seasoning, Tony Chachere’s, and I used it on just about everything, despite how much my friends made fun of me.

(11) The dungeon-like basement in the Davidson library can yield some of the best friendships.

Whether it was the groaning in unison or the “help me” glances across the table, some of my strongest relationships were built while studying this semester.

(12) Your first semester of college goes by way faster than you would think. 

I made some of the best memories of my life, and I am beyond excited to go back to the place my Google Maps has officially marked as “Home”.