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Heading off to college is one of the most exciting, nerve-wracking moments in a young person's life.
While there is so much to look forward to, a new beginning can be also pretty scary.
Here are 10 things every fresher faces in their first year of college.
Making new friends
Getting to know new people is one of the best things about going to college. You get to meet like-minded people who quickly become your best friends. The only problem is, in your first week alone you will probably meet dozens of friendly people and remembering the names of them all can be pretty challenging. Don't be afraid to ask them their name the second time you meet them, they probably can't remember yours either so they'd be glad you asked.
Budgeting
Buying your own food, paying your own rent and fending for yourself in general can be a bit scary in your first year of college. Noodles become your best friend and you'll quickly learn about saving money. Keeping an eye on your bank account is really important and your best bet is to sign up for a student account while you're in college. That way you'll get all sorts of benefits that non-students don't get. Things like free ATM transactions and a handy online banking system can be a saving grace.
Mastering the house
Moving into a new house can be scary. The responsibility of it all and the realisation that your parents aren't there to pick up after you can seem quite worrying. You'll have to master the cooking and cleaning in a very short space of time. You might avoid it as long as you can by eating everyday in the college bar, but you'll soon get the hang of looking after yourself and your new place.
Getting into a routine with roommates
Living with people you have never met before can be awkward at first, you'll argue over who is going to wash the dishes and whose turn it is to take out the bins, but once you host pre-drinks in your place together you'll quickly break the ice.
Actually going to college
You would think that going off to college would mean actually being in lectures, but all the exciting other things that college has to offer can be pretty distracting, you'll soon learn that getting up for 9am lectures is one of the biggest challenges you'll face, but you'll quickly learn to manage your time even if it means catching up on sleep as soon as your lecture is over.
Doing assignments
If college students we're graded on procrastination they would all get an A. It is just too easy to do something fun every night rather than just sitting at home writing an essay. One night you'll be in the college bar and someone will ask you how you found the assignment that is due tomorrow, and you'll have to run home and bang out 1500 words before the next morning at 9. It's challenging, but you can do it.
Relationships
You'll meet a lot of guys and girls who share your interests, and before you know it, you'll find yourself someone special. You may have had boyfriends or girlfriends in school but a college love is different. You have more freedom to do what you want and its probably your first grown-up relationship which brings with it all types of stress, but its also a lot of fun.
Messed up time schedules
Heading out to clubs, having friends over and Netflix binge-watching means you'll probably be up until ridiculous o'clock. This doesn't work too well with 9am starts. But you'll find a balance between fun and study, even if you catch up on all your sleep on the weekends.
Getting lost on campus
The first few days on campus can feel like a maze. The buildings' names and numbers don't go in any order or make any sense. It'll take some getting used to and you may have to stop and ask a few people on the way, but it'll all become more familiar after a week or so.
Finding your favourite spots
Most colleges have loads of places to hang out, from the college bar to the canteen to several cafes, and then there are local spots off campus that are also popular. You'll no doubt try them all out and spend a bit of time getting to know the area before decided where you're going to lounge around for the next 3 or 4 years.
This article is brought to you by KBC.
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