College is supposedly the best four years of your life. Parents say this repeatedly to their children as they try to justify letting their kid move halfway across the country to attend that well known University that has that undefeated sports team and is known for being a party town. Children go through high school, slaving away at their academics in order to receive some sort of scholarship that will allow them to attend a school that will offer them those “best four years” that everyone hopes to have.
College students are constantly seen in movies and television shows that depict them as traveling, partying non-stop, drinking risky beverages, finding their soulmate, and all around living adventurous and constantly fun lives. Sadly, though, college life isn’t all that the media has made it cracked up to be. And while yes, college can offer you some of the most amazing experiences of your life, it is important to know that going into school, life won’t be all butterflies and roses.
For one, the classes that you will have to take at college are significantly harder than the ones in high school- which sooner or later you will see were predominantly made up of busy work. Taking extremely hard classes will undoubtedly lead you to sleepless nights of studying, possibly having to miss out on a few social events, and maybe a few mental breakdowns.
This isn’t to say though that college life is all stressful. Learning to manage your classes, studying, clubs, sleep, and social lives are difficult, but, if you go into college with the mindset of balance over constant partying, you may actually experience the most rewarding four years of your life.