Common Misconceptions About College and Why They're WRONG

Stop believing everything the television says and stop listening to your peers. Over time, they are bound to exaggerate a few things that should not be exaggerated. Take your time to think about what you are doing before you actually carry out your actions. Here are some things you see or hear about all the time but aren't necessarily true.

You can drink without being caught.

You think, there's so many people at this party, no one's going to notice if I drink a beer. 3 seconds later, you're scrambling to hide as the Resident Assistant gets wind of alcohol being at the party. He crashes through the door like S.W.A.T. and the music immediately stops playing - just like in the movies. Except you're not in a movie. This is life. So if you're not 21, you shouldn't be so eager to get drunk (it's really not that fun), and even if you ARE 21, what are you doing partying on a Tuesday night?

You should go to class.

Do not just go. Pay attention. Doing one of the following doesn't count:

- Play on iPod touch.

- Play on laptop.

- Doodle on notes.

- Text girlfriend.

- Think about party on Friday.

- Stare at hot girl in front row.

- Eat lunch and make gratuitous amounts of noise.

- Stack books precariously high so as to block vision of everyone behind you and make lots of noise when it topples.

- Screaming JENGA before your books topple.

- NOT LISTENING.

Plenty of students go to class, but they just don't listen. What's the point of going? When you are a student, lying to yourself to get things done doesn't get things done. You're better off staying in your room like Tim, who decided to not come to class at all. But Tim has made a mistake as well.....

You can skip class.

There will be days when half of your 200 person lecture is not in class. Those are usually the days the professor will conveniently decide to hold a pop-quiz. And even if he doesn't, he will probably teach something extremely useful (hint: that will most likely be on the test), something that he won't ever mention again. Not even at the review session. So you can forget about skipping class, because you're not a genius and college isn't that easy. Just don't make it a habit.

Your professor is eager to help you.

He would much rather be in his office doing his own research. Being a professor isn't all about teaching. They have to keep up with their own research and publications to make advances in their fields, as well as keep tenure at the school. Also, most classes they teach will be large ones, so don't expect your professor to make time out of his busy day to help teach you about something you should have learned that day you were skipping class. This isn't to say that he won't help you, just don't count on any big breaks. Just put it this way - he won't break any appointments for your sad little undergraduate self.

Your dorm is like your house.

No, it's not. So 1) stop running around the hall naked, and 2) learn to drown out noise. Even if the noise is not disrupting your studying since you can always go to the library, it will wake you up in your sleep. Most likely there will be at least one jerk on your hall who enjoys staying up until 3 A.M. playing some stupid song like Thriller on a never-ending loop. Thriller is an amazing song, but not after you hear it 55 times when you're trying to go to sleep. There will be almost no privacy in your dorm or on your hall, so deal with it.

The dining hall has great food.

Save for some random schools across the nation, most dining halls are far from spectacular. They don't serve porridge like in 17th century England, but sometimes I wonder if they actually cook the stuff. Most likely, the first week you ate at the dining hall you thought it was great. But after freshmen orientation is over and your parents are gone, get ready for the beatdown. From re-used oil to moldy pizza, there's really nothing safe to eat other than making your own sandwich. And even then you could probably get salmonella. It's actually really not terrible. But don't expect a gourmet.

Everyone has sex, so I should too.

No you idiot. Proceed with caution when getting involved with someone. Not everyone has sex in college. Just because you think you are on your own now doesn't mean that you have the right to just let loose and not take responsibility for your actions. Keep your ego in your pants. Besides, sex is overrated.

My textbook will get me through college.

Yes, as a method of holding your window open. Don't trust your textbook. If anything, always go to class, because your professor is the one writing notes on the board. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's also the one who makes the test, right? Yes, I thought so. Either way, some textbooks are great and some are horrible. Some have words the size of bowling balls, and some scribble ant poop. Make sure to at least give your textbook a shot at being part of your study materials, but some students prefer to find other resource books or information online. Make your own judgment.

Life is funny, but life isn't a movie. Stop getting so much influence from other people, and make decisions for yourself. If you think something is detrimental to your studies, it most likely is.