Myth #1- Random roommates will result in disaster

It may be scary to go totally random in your roommate selection and put all your faith into the university to find someone for you to live with 24/7 for months. But it really isn’t as scary as you may think. I went random with my roommate selection and she ended up becoming one of my best friends in college. We still talk to each other, 4 years later. I can’t imagine having a different roommate my freshman year and I am so happy that I decided to let the University select a roommate for me.

Myth #2- “I didn’t study in high school and I got all A’s so I don’t need to study in college.”

This was a statement I made my first week of school. When I was in high school, I would quickly study the night before a test and be good to go. College requires a lot more studying than my high school classes ever did. But, don’t let this discourage you. If you show up to class, do your homework, and study for tests you will be just fine in college. It’s when you don’t do these things that your grades will start to suffer.

Myth#3- “High school started at 8 so I can take an 8am class.”

If you’re a morning person, go for it. If you are not a morning person avoid 8am classes if you can! I can’t tell you how many times I strolled into my 8am still wearing the clothes I slept in. After staying up late study or socializing, you will quickly realize that an 8am will cause you to constantly be sleep deprived. In college, sleep will become sacred and you need to get as much of that as possible. If an 8am is something that you choose to take, make sure you have a plan as to when you will study, socialize and even what time you will go to bed to get those needed hours in.

Myth #4- RA’s are out to get you

RA’s are only in the dorms to make sure that all heck doesn’t break loose inside. As long as you are smart about what you chose to do in the dorms and what you save for off-campus, you will be totally fine. RA’s want nothing more than for you to succeed and honestly I don’t think they really want to get students in trouble unless they really have to. So don’t avoid your RA and make an attempt to get to know them. It’s always better to have that connection than to be complete strangers. Who knows, you might even become friends.

Myth #5-  College is scary

Let me tell you right now that your first year of college will be better than you ever expected. I have met so many people from all over the world and so many people that I now consider family. You will be exposed to so many new situations and you will always have a group of people behind you cheering you on and wishing you nothing but success. You will learn more than you ever did in high school and even more importantly, you will start to discover yourself. College allows you to be completely free and be 100% true to who you are. It may seem scary at first, but I promise you, if you do all that you can to make the most of it, it will be a great experience.