Coming to your first year in college is incredibly exciting. At the same time, it turns out pretty stressful for the majority of students due to a number of factors. First of all, it’s the complete change of the habitual environment and way of living that feels rather odd at first. And secondly, there are plenty of myths that freshers believe are true, and it hampers their daily life.
In order to make your freshman year more comfortable and less stressful, we’ve prepared a list of common myths about college that you should not worry about.
You Won’t Handle the Workload
Many freshers often get told that college is much harder than school. Of course, this is true. But don’t let this make you feel like it will be so bad that you won’t be able to handle it. Though there will be more lectures and homework, and, thus, more commitment required, there are plenty of ways to manage it all. There are services which you can ask to someone to edit my paper and get professional help with the tasks that you can’t handle. On top of that, wise time management will help you keep up with a more intense curriculum easily.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that not everything is that bad. Yes, you will be challenged more. But colleges and professors won’t demand the impossible from you during your first year. So no worries, you will pull it through!
You Have to Be BFFs With Your Roommate
Another thing freshers often stress about a lot is the choice (or assignation) of the dorm roommate. Numerous movies, TV shows, and media impose on us that a college roommate HAS to become one of our lifetime’s best friends. But the truth is that it doesn’t always have to be like that.
Some roommates become good friends. Others don’t. And both options are okay. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about this too much or try your best to be besties from the start. All you need is to establish a good relationship (not necessarily a real friendship) to have a positive living experience. And it’s okay if you are not compatible.
You Must Choose Your Major Right Away
Many young people spend weeks on end trying to pick their majors before they arrive at college. For some reason, many believe that it’s pivotal to make this decision in advance and that, otherwise, they won’t be able to succeed. But the truth is that it’s okay if you don’t know what your major should be or what you want to do after you graduate.
College gives you plenty of opportunities to discover different career paths and majors. You can use these opportunities to decide what you love doing the most and pick your major in the process. Rather than stress out about this, give yourself time to try different options, narrow down your interests, and choose something that you will truly enjoy studying.
The Chosen Major Is Set in Stone
One of the biggest reasons why students worry about their majors so much is that there is a belief that once you decide on it, you can’t go back, and it will always be something you’ll have to do for a living always. But this is a myth.
First of all, the chosen major isn’t set in stone. You will always be able to change it later if you want. In fact, that’s what many students do. And secondly, even if you graduate with a specific major, it doesn’t mean that your career path will be linked to it forever. After all, according to studies, only 27% of grads eventually get a job that’s closely related to their major. So, once again, no need to worry about this.
You Have to Join Greek Life to Socialize
We bet you’ve seen how in many movies and TV shows about college, one of the key goals of every first-year student is to become a member of some fraternity or sorority, and they often are willing to do anything to make this real. According to the media, joining Greek life is nearly the only way to have a social life on campus and “be cool.” But that’s not true.
In fact, there are plenty of “non-Greeks” in colleges. And it’s okay. There are plenty of other opportunities to make friends and expand your social circle. For example, there are sports, clubs, and other extracurriculars. If you are afraid that you won’t be able to get accepted by the community if you are not a Greek person, that’s also not true. In fact, even so-famous events held by fraternities or sororities are often open to everyone on campus.
You Will Look Stupid If You Ask for Help
Finally, the last most common myth that can hold you back from doing your best during your first year is that you should never ask for help and that asking for it will make you look stupid in the eyes of professors and classmates. Asking questions and requesting help is okay. It will never make you look stupid. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
According to surveys, professors are making a conscious effort to support and help their students. They are willing to be your guides. What’s more, most teachers find it a good thing when students ask questions and request help because it demonstrates their participation and interest in the subject. Therefore, when you ask for help, be sure that they will be happy to give it to you.
The Bottom Line
There are plenty of myths about college life. Some of them are somewhat true, whereas others are absolute nonsense and not worth your attention.
Now you know about some of the biggest myths that can ruin your first year and hold you back from success. Be sure to get them out of your head, and you will be able to have the best college experience you deserve!