Lesson #74 - If I Knew Then What I Know Now {Part II}

{To see Part I, go here}

February 25, 2010

Dear College Me,

Wow...off to college with you! Thank goodness you got out of that little-itty-bitty hometown of yours! You have done some crazy things in life - so far...freshmen living is something else, though, isn't it?? You'll wish that you went to college with someone you know - so that the whole roommate raffle wouldn't be such a shock. Being away from home isn't so bad - but when the roommate assigner completely IGNORES the 5 million answers from the housing questionnaire, then things can be miserable.

You are an athletic cheerleader - she is a lazy pig (and I don't mean cop). You are a social butterfly - she is an introverted, quiet pig. You decided to join a sorority - she hates people...all people. Your favorite color is pink - hers is black. You are a morning person - she is just climbing into bed when you wake up. You shower every night before bed - she showers MAYBE once a week. You are a PC girl - she owns a MAC.

Seriously?! You won't know how they could have gotten it SO wrong!! Freshman year was a horrible experience...due to a crappy roommate you were hardly EVER in your room. Oh well...that is one of the great things about dating an older guy - right?? He is established and mostly importantly has an apartment to run away to...thank goodness!!

Again with the questionnaire garbage for sophomore year. Who is running the crap in that housing office?? Doesn't anyone pay attention to that stuff?? Guess not!! So, the new roommate is VERY religious...which, really, isn't a problem...except for the fact that she will pray every hour - on the hour - in the middle of the room! Be grateful that you are in a suite because the girls in the adjoining room are really awesome! They'll both end up rushing your sorority - and one will become your little sister!

Things will get rocky with the post-high school borefriend - even though you've been talking about getting married for the last year. You'll begin to get close to a frat guy you meet at a party (oh - the horror!!) - and the suspected proposal over Thanksgiving will be a bust. After that debacle, you're going to decide to study abroad in Italy for five months...and the post-high school borefriend will leave you weeks before your flight. The previously mentioned frat guy lives in the frat house, but a room is a room and even though you aren't dating each other, he is going to let you crash with him before you leave for Italy. You will leave in January and in March the frat guy will fly to Italy to visit you over his spring break...awwww...how sweet! That relationship is going to start out great...then cool down at year 3...become a way of life at year 4...and the realization of having something better out there will round out year 5...so you'll only really lose the last 2 years of your life. You're going to learn a lot from him and, in the end, he will make you a better person.

College was a whirl wind of activity. Not only did you have to deal with crap roommates, ending one relationship, starting another, traveling to Italy not knowing ANYONE and overloading on credits during summer sessions, you also held down a full-time and (somehow) 2 part-time jobs. If nothing else, college has definitely prepared you for what has come at you in life now!!