What I Wish I Knew Before College

Things I Wish I Knew Before College 

       In high school there was a lot more time to accomplish things. Practice was every other day. When you got home from practice dinner would already be made. As a college student there's way more homework and studying to do. You also have practice everyday. On top of that you have to plan your meals, which also means grocery shopping and planning ahead. When it comes to things around the house, dad isn't there to fix everything. You have to figure out how to fix the clogged drain.

      I was so excited to start school in a new state and have a new beginning, but when my parents left when they dropped me off for freshman year I broke down. I sat in my dorm room and cried. I realized I didn't have anyone to talk to. My parents had left and my brother was at home. All of my high school friends were at their new schools. I didn't really know my teammates yet and I had 5 strangers in my dorm (my roommates). The most we had talked the first couple days was about organizing our dorm.  

       I wish I learned how to cook before I started college. My roommates freshman year were all little homemakers. They knew everything. I didn't even know how to make scrambled eggs. I have come a long way. For a school project, I made a food blog. I didn't know how to do dishes or do my laundry. I had to learn how to do these things. I know a lot of people learn some of these things prior to moving out, but I had not. 

   

       As an adult you have to learn how to take care of yourself. You have to look at your emergency kit your grandma made you and figure out whether to take ibuprofen or Advil. When you don't feel good you have to leave your room and make soup for yourself. When you're having a migraine and you need a cool wash cloth for your neck, you have to figure out how to get up and do it for yourself. When you get a hole in your favorite pajama pants you have to figure out how to sew them up. You also have to make sure you set alarms. In the morning, your parents aren't there to make sure you are awake to get out of the house on time. When you need your white practice pants washed you have to figure out how to wash them like your mom does so they can remain white for the next time you wear them.

          There's days you will have 7am weights, 5 hours of class, a 4 hour practice, treatment, have to make dinner, and study for 2 test. Mom and dad aren't there to make meals and tell you it will be okay. You have to make the sacrifice of not sleeping to squeeze everything in and then you just end up exhausted. 

       Sports can get difficult. You only have 1 day off a week. Sometimes you physically and mentally need more. There's no escape. You live with your teammates, you have classes with your teammates, you have practice and treatment and team dinners with your teammates. There's not a lot of alone time to separate your stress from sports and school. 

      When you struggle in sports, your parents can't sit and watch your practice to see what you are doing wrong. Your family is hundreds of miles away and you can only talk on the phone or FaceTime. Sometimes you just really need a hug from your mom or need to cuddle your dog and you just can't. There will be times you have down time and have absolutely no idea what to do with your life. It's an experience you can't prepare for. 

        Senior year of high school seemed so perfect. I had a great group of friends and we enjoyed our summer together before freshman year started and then we all went our separate ways. The first semester we tried to FaceTime all of the time. The daily text turned into a a text once a month, which turned into never hearing from them again. Going home for breaks, you end up just hanging out with your family because your old friends are still at school or you don't talk anymore. You will make new friends in college. Those friendships become strong. You will miss your school friends when you go home, especially your teammates. It's weird how you can be best friends with someone in college and not know a lot about them because they are from a completely different state and have a different background. It's sad that once college athletics is over, I won't get to see them several times a day everyday of the week. Relationships you make in college are stronger than others. I know that the friendships I have with my teammates will last a long time.