Many college students get about a third of the way through their first semester in college before the reality of living on their own for the first time sinks in.
Suddenly you realize that the giant pile of laundry accumulating in the corner of your dorm isn’t going to wash itself, or that habit you have of willfully sleeping through your alarm is really starting to affect your performance in class. A queasy stomach clues you in to the fact that eating pizza from the dining halls for three meals a day every day is probably not the best idea. Or maybe this is when you figure out you just blew through the last of your high school graduation money and suddenly realize you need a job.
The point is, the education you gain in college isn’t limited solely to the classroom. Living on campus, far from the comfort and familiarity of home and far from the accountability you once had with parents and guardians, you must learn to figure things out for yourself and take responsibility for the decisions you make. Whether you realize it or not, you are learning life lessons. You are growing up.
The first semester of your freshmen year, you may learn basic life skills like doing your own laundry, ironing your own clothes, getting by on a college job income, waking up on your own without a mom to drag you out of bed by your feet—typical transitions from adolescence into the beginnings of young adulthood. You establish time management skills, making sure you have enough time to work, study, get to class and hang out with friends.
As time goes on, other responsibilities stack up. No one can declare a major for you. You must choose one that you believe will best put you in line toward your career and life goals. While it is wise to get sound counsel from others, it is important to make up your own mind about what you want out of life and out of your college education.
Later in college, you may decide to lease your first apartment by yourself or with friends. You must choose reliable roommates who will pull their weight financially; budget carefully to make sure you are setting aside enough money for rent, utilities, and other bills; and adequately furnish your apartment. At 21, you will reach the legal drinking age, and must learn how to balance out this newfound perk with your college and work life—and even more importantly, how to drink responsibly.
While these are just a few examples of responsibilities you will juggle while in college, the important thing to realize is that you are not just learning complex subjects in college—you are learning life lessons.
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