Coming back home from my first year of college meant hearing the dreaded question, “How was your first year?” repeatedly. You can try to find creative ways to respond, but there’s only so many times you can say the same thing. So I thought there would be no better way to answer this question than in a list. And no, there aren’t any gifs, this isn’t Buzzfeed.
- Asking “Is there anything good?” every day doesn’t make dining hall food any less tasteless. That’s why there’s pizza and Chinese takeout.
- Any “ethnic food” attempted will leave you disappointed and wondering if there’s any seasoning.
- Coming from a city means dealing with people who claim they know everything about it. Your visit to the Statue of Liberty and Times Square doesn’t make you a New Yorker. Just stop.
- Skype becomes a tool of survival for old friendships.
- Nothing stays the same, even if you wish it would.
- Ramen at 2 in the morning is delicious. Actually, anything at two in the morning is delicious. Except dining hall food.
- You change your mind. A lot. There’s no need to beat yourself up about it.
- Everybody is broke all of the time. Broke and crying about loans.
- Night classes are awful. It doesn’t matter if they only meet once a week. There’s still so many other things you could be doing instead. (I might just make a list of them).
- Existential conversations are best had in the middle of the night.
- Stars do exist.And they’re spectacular.
- Snow days are a godsend.
- Sweats and college swag are a must.
- Reading as much as possible is necessary to survival.
- The more uncomfortable the questions, the better.
- You will meet people who are enthusiasts about the most random things. Like beta fish.
- Meditation is perfection. So is yoga.
- It’s the little things that are remembered most.
- Healthy friendships come from loving yourself first.
- Happiness is an everyday choice.
- Realization strikes at the most unexpected moments.
- There’s no such thing as “the right time,” so there’s no need looking for it.
- Laughter can melt away even the worst stress.
- Drinking four cups of coffee to pull an all nighter doesn’t make it any easier.
- The goal is not where you go to school. It’s finding yourself wherever you are.
