My fellow blogger, David, blogs for the Rutgers admissions team. He analyzed this list about college life, taken from a Facebook group entitled, "You know you're in college when..."
I want to see whether these describe my experiences. If I keep this blog for the entirety of my college career, I'll analyze this list year.
Bold=True
Italics=False
1. High school started before 8am, but now anything before noon is considered “early."
-so true. I'm panicking about a 9:50 a.m. class, when my first period class used to start at 7:26.
2. You have more beer than food in your fridge.
-As someone who has been very sXe for awhile, I have to say that this does not have anything to do with my life whatsoever.
3. Weekends start on Thursday. No... Wednesday.
-This is partly true. I did feel very relaxed on Thursdays, but that was because I had light Friday afternoon classes.
4. 6am is when you go to sleep, not when you wake up.
-I can't say that this has ever been true for me. I greatly value my sleep.
5. You know many different ways to cook Ramen noodles or macaroni and cheese.
-My dorm's kitchen has a history of not functioning, and I'd find it uneconomical if I did not fully utilize the dining service for which my parents dispense their money.
6. The health center gives out free condoms, and people take them… just in case.
-I've actually never been to the health center. Voyage for next semester? Perhaps.
7. Instead of falling asleep in class, you stay in bed.
-Totally untrue. There's so much to learn in class. So what if I fall asleep for a few minutes? I learn nothing while staying in bed, so I'd rather at least try to stay awake in school.
8. You know how late McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Qdoba, etc. are open.
-Absolutely not. I'm trying to avoid the Freshman 15, here. Fast food is totally out of the question. If I want to eat unhealthy food items, I can do that with my meal plan!
9. You think it’s the weekend on a Wednesday and you don’t know what month it is.
-Highly untrue. I rely on a calendar to manage exams, events, due dates, and club projects more than I ever did in high school.
10. You can't remember the last time you washed your car.
-N/A. I don't have a car.
11. Your underwear/sock supply dictates your laundry schedule.
-I actually live close enough to home to kindly demand that my parents do my laundry for me. HOWEVER...This does dictate when I go home to do my laundry...which is kind of the same thing. ;)
12. You check Facebook/Myspace more than once a day.
-I find a greater desire to procrastinate than I did in high school. For this, I thoroughly blame Expository Writing, which is the worst English class that I have ever taken.
13. You get drunk dialed on any night of the week.
-This has actually never happened to me.
14. You wash dishes in the bathroom sink.
-I have done this more times than I can possibly count.
15. You’ve fallen off a loft bed.
-This is one of my fears, but it has not happened to me. Though this is partly because I haven't lofted
my bed...
16. You talk about beer pong like it’s a sport.
-I actually don't talk about beer pong at all. Frankly, I don't feel like I'm missing much.
17. Finding random people in your house is perfectly normal, and you even sympathize with them... sometimes when you wake up you have no idea where you are.
-I don't live in a house, but I have found random people in my dorm and my dorm room. I've never woken up with no idea where I was. That would be rather frightening, wouldn't it?
18. Your primary news sources are the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.
-I've never even heard of those shows. I actually signed up for a news subscription from the State Department. That is my main news source.
19. You open a beer at 10 am and your roommate asks you if there’s more.
-Neither my roommate, nor I, drink.
20. The standard of meals per day falls to two, sometimes just one.
-Unfortunately, this is relatively true. It is hard to fit a dining hall visit into a day crammed with studying, classes, relaxing, socializing, and clubs. (Especially if your dining hall is as far away from your dorm as mine is!) On some days, it's just not realistic to get three full meals a day. My solution? Devour a huge breakfast, consume a snack bar for lunch, and finish the day off with a moderate dinner. :)
21. Your trash is overflowing and your bank account isn’t.
-Indeed. I strongly encourage working as much as possible.
22. You go to Target or WalMart more than 3 times a week.
-Totally untrue. I'm a parsimonious person and balk at the idea of spending money, unless I find a ridiculously rabid desire to do so.
23. You wear the same jeans for 13 days without washing them.
-No comment. =P
24. Your breakfast consists of a coke or cereal bar on the way to class... anything with caffeine will do.
-This was actually my lunch, although I strongly relied on my morning caffeine to keep me functioning throughout the day.
25. Quarters are like gold.
-After going to college, my mantra became, "Money is money."
26. Your idea of feeding the poor is buying yourself some ramen noodles.
-This is actually pretty funny, but with exposure to low-income families and so many social activism clubs on campus, I can't agree with this statement at all.
27. You live in a house with three couches, none of which match.
-No house. The dorm is where I reside.
28. You try to study but seem to procrastinate by eating, going to study breaks, talking to people, etc...
-This was, unfortunately, true of my first semester. Everything seems more interesting than writing your Proust paper...I strongly encourage you to take courses that truly interest you so that you do not fall victim to thus mistake.
29. You talk to your roommate on instant messenger when you’re both home.
-True. But this will happen only if you like your roommate, I imagine.
30. You ask people what YOU did last night.
-So much goes on in college. Thus, I agree with this statement.
31. Certain things are now deemed "facebook worthy." When friends take pictures of you, you wonder how long it will take them to post them.
-I learned this from experience. No more on this topic.
32. You’ve seen a hit and run involving a bicyclist/pedestrian.
-I have not yet, although I have heard of them occurring on campus.
33. You see people you know you’ve met but can never remember their names or how you know them.
-Yes, this is true, especially at a huge school like RU.
34. You sleep more in class than in your room
-Never. There'd be no point in studying or going to college at all, if this were the case.
35. Your idea of a square meal is a box of Pop-Tarts.
-Nooooooooo. Perhaps this is a result of my Indian parents who place a great value on food, particularly delectable Indian dishes, but I feel as though I'll never classify Pop-Tarts as real food.
36. You've traveled with bags of dirty clothes.
-Of course...
37. You go home to do your laundry because you're too poor to pay the $2... or too lazy to go to a change machine.
-This epitomizes my college life and responsibility pattern.
38. You pay $100 for a book you don't read once, return it four months later, and get $7.
-No, I use Chegg.com. :)
39. More than 20% of your household furnishings are made from milk crates.
-Well, the dorm provides enough furniture so that this is not an option.
40. You recognize the meat in the dorm soup as yesterday's meatloaf, and thus decide to eat a nice bowl of cereal - a safe bet for any meal.
-The soup at RU is usually pretty unappealing, so I never notice any "recycling."
41. You use words like "thus" (see #40).
-I probably did this before college also.
43. Your beer pong table is nicer than all your other tables.
-There is more to college life than beer pong...
44. It takes preparation... and 3 people... to take out your garbage.
-Three is a little bit much. Two, on the other hand, is a perfectly even number...
45. Going to the library is a social event.
-This is totally false. Going to the library is a frightening event that makes you carefully guard your soul. Seeing all of those people studying like crazy is hardly social.
46. You wear flip flops in the shower your freshman year... you know why.
-For sure...It's probably best to wear them after freshman year also...
47. You start joining clubs because of the free food.
-Maybe not join clubs because they're time commitments...But this is part of the reason why I go to events....
48. Visits home depend on how much money you have for gas.
-I don't drive....
49. You skip one class to write a paper for another.
-I did this once. With good time and course management, it really shouldn't happen.
50. You have no idea where your tuition money is going... technology fees? I think not.
-Luckily, Rutgers sums it up pretty nicely on the term bill.
51. Bicycles don't seem as lame as they did in high school.
-I agree. My Peer Academic Leader's old roommate rode her bike from Rutgers campus to Rutgers campus for exercise. I found that pretty epic.
52. You stay up late to finish homework then sleep through the class in which it was due.
-I couldn't do that. I spend far too much time stressing when I stay up late.
53. You've balanced your foot on a shampoo bottle to shave.
-Wow, I've never heard of that....ever....
54. Your backpack is giving you scoliosis.
-I had teachers kind enough to not mandate usage of massive textbooks. I hope that this will continue...
55. You've written a check for 45 cents or stopped to get $2.00 of gas.
-Can't say I have...I'm stingy, for goodness sakes.
56. Your bill in the bookstore will be comparable to tuition.
-Chegg.com Need I say it again?
57. Going to the mailbox becomes an ego booster/breaker.
-Well, perhaps it's not as dramatic as that. But the mail does change the tone of the day...
58. Most of your T.A.s are foreign...what's the deal?
-I haven't had any TAs yet. So N/A.
59. You never realized so many people are smarter than you.
-I am grateful to have met so many intelligent and talented people.
60. You never realized so many people are more dumb (aka "dumber") than you.
-This is something for which I am far less grateful.
62. Care packages rank right up there with birthdays.
-My parents don't send them to me. They believe in making home food instead. I have to agree that that's a far better option.
63. You craft ways to make any game into a drinking/stripping game.
-My college life is more tame than this.....
64. You meet the type of people you thought only existed in movies.
-Being a minority who has traveled to different parts of the world, and not just for tourism, I've been exposed to many people. Yet I still meet shocking people in college, people whom I didn't know existed.
65. Printers break down only when you desperately need them.
-Haha. This has truth in it.
66. Anything can be cooked in a microwave.
-Rutgers microwaves take FOREVER to microwave something. I highly doubt that they'd live up to this statement. But being a college student with a far off dining hall has made me trust the microwave quite a bit...
67. Two words: bike cops.
-Two words: HORSE COPS.
68. You have Safe Ride programmed into your phone.
-I'm too much of a tired fraidycat (who genuinely loves sleeping) to need that.
69. Old school Nintendo... and guitar hero... are pretty much the best things ever.
-I've never been much of a video games person. So I must disagree here.
70. Going to the grocery at midnight is completely normal.
-Yeah. Sometimes, that's when you desire food.
71. You call restaurants that deliver more than you call your own family.
-This statement makes me so sad! Stingy Justine doesn't go to restaurants much though...
72. You've paid bills over $5... in coins.
-Hahaha. No.
73. You can't imagine life without your computer/cell phone/ ipod.
-Word. These become your ties to your schoolwork and outside life.
74. Hoodies and sweatpants become the norm - jeans are considered "dressy" at certain occasions... like school.
-I actually read this before I went to college and vowed that this would not happen to me. Thus, it hasn't. Although, after staying up really late, I always don a sweatshirt and track pants.
75. A cancelled class is almost as exciting as Christmas.
-Actually, I'd find a cancelled class better than Christmas. I feel very anti-religious for saying this, but I place a ridiculous premium on time.
76. Taking a nap in the library is perfectly acceptable.
-Agreed. I've coveted that many times.
77. Your professors speak English... as a second language.
-Some actually do. I admire them for teaching in English speaking universities when this is only their second language. That takes a great deal of motivation and determination.
78. Your teachers swear in class and no one cares.
-People seem to enjoy teachers swearing. This happened in my high school, but it catches me off guard sometimes, but that's because I don't really curse myself.
79. Candles in your dorm room are considered contraband, but cigarettes are ok.
-Never. I hate cigarettes. They're DISGUSTING.
80. You take condiment packets and napkins from fast food restaurants - hey, they're free.
-I actually do do this...I have a collection in my room.
81. Betta fish are like your family.
-We're not allowed to have pets...
82. You bring back socks from the laundry room that may or may not be yours.
-This creeps me out. NO WAY, though it has happened to my friends.
83. You know what people carrying suspiciously heavy backpacks after dark are doing...
-Carrying suspiciously heavy backpacks? I jest; I know what this refers to.
84. The elevators take forever but you'll wait 10 minutes just so you don't have to climb stairs.
-Hmmmm...I have no elevators in my dorm. So N/A.
85. Your roommate asks you to check the weather on your computer when they're standing 5 feet away from the door.
-Five feet is an exaggeration. But, in essence, yes.
86. Showers become more of an issue.
-At times.
90. You donate plasma even though you know it's pretty sketchy.
-I've been too selfish and squeamish to do that, but my best friend has.
91. You are no longer thankful that fire alarms are here to protect you.
-My dorm is unlucky enough to have a fire alarm that did not wake my roommate and me up because of its far location from our hallway, which is heavily enclosed with fire doors. If a real fire actually occurred, we'd probably be recounting this incident with a lot more furor.
92. You've bought Christmas presents from the book store and charged it to your student account so your parents pay for the gifts because you're too broke.
-I never buy Christmas presents for fear that I'll forget to buy them for someone. That's kind of bad, I know...But N/A.
93. You begin to include ketchup on your list of acceptable vegetables.
-I find ketchup revolting. So NO.
94. You stay on campus for hours in between classes when it's too cold to walk home.
-I live on campus...?
95. People have to help you kick the vending machine just so you can get your 50 cent bag of chips.
-I don't use vending machines because of a bad camp experience. N/A
96. There's always a "question kid" in at least one of your classes, and you really wish someone would just tell him/her to shut the hell up.
-AGREED. Some people do not understand classroom etiquette.
97. You steal dishes from the cafeteria so you don't have to wash your own.
-False. Stealing is wrong.
98. Laundry is an all-day event.
-N/A. :D
102. You fill out credit card applications for the free food.
-I've never heard of this opportunity. But now I'm intrigued.
103. You've eaten cereal out of a cup... with a fork.
-Ummm...My parents made me bring cutlery to college. Otherwise, this may have happened.
104. Dressing up for Halloween becomes cool again.
-This is true. But I haven't dressed up since high school. Even then, my costume was really last minute and uncool. (I was Sarah Palin.)
105. You know at least one person who has dropped his/her cell phone into a toilet.
-This happened before I went to college.
106. You hang multiple shirts on the same hanger to save space/money.
-Haha...No. Take things from home. It saves you that hassle.
107. You become increasingly annoyed with the "old" people in class - props to them for going back to college but they generally ask really, really annoying questions.
-Yeah, they usually ask specific questions based on personal experience. It's kind of irritating.
108. You admire people's alcohol bottle shrines.
-Never heard of people having alcohol bottle shrines.
109. You set your clock 5-10 minutes ahead so you can potentially make it to class on time.
-HAHA! Procrastinator's time...My friends do this, but I do not. I also didn't always make it to class on time. That will be modified...
112. You text faster than you type.
-Ummm..I don't know?
113. You only find out a class is cancelled after you get there and sit for about ten minutes.
-This hasn't happened to me. My Expos teacher, however, sent out an announcement that he wanted two copies of our rough drafts ONE HOUR BEFORE CLASS STARTED. I was in another class by then...
114. You actually start using coupons, especially those school coupon books.
-Coupons would require buying things. I'm frugal. (I'll use a nicer word.)
115. You open canned food and eat it... out of the can.
-HAHA....I do this with certain foods, yes.
117. You have numbers in your phone with labels like “Sketchy Steve” and “Alcohol Guy.”
-Nah.
118. The food in your fridge may or may not be older than your little brother.
-I feel nauseous. My little brother is eight.
119. The words "google" and "wikipedia" have become verbs. And you use them... quite often.
-That is certainly true. I use Google more than I ever have before...I have distaste for Wikipedia though.
120. The names Morgan, Jim, Jack, and Jose could aptly describe either who you were with last night or what you had to drink.
-I only drink coffee, water, hot chocolate, and fruit juice at school.
121. You fill your empty two-liter bottles with pop from the school cafeteria.
-I have heard of people doing things like this, but I haven't. Partly because I don't like pop and partly because I use my meal swipe to swipe for Naked drinks, coffee, and water!
122. You have a drinking buddy who can hold the most intellectual, deep conversations when drunk. Unfortunately, neither he/she nor you can remember most of it later.
-I don't drink, so no. I do have intellectual conversations though. And we do remember them. :)
123. Your floor has been dirty to the point that you've had to brush your feet off before putting on socks or getting into bed.
-My roommate would kill me if my room got to that level.
124. You're all for the free samples at grocery stores.
-This is certainly true. College makes you deeply appreciate free stuff.
130. Your scar stories involve alcohol and/or hearing what happened to you from your more sober friends.
-Scarring would be a better adjective...
131. It is completely acceptable... and encouraged... to party on weeknights. What would life be without Wasted Wednesdays or Thirsty Thursdays?
-Not among my group of friends...
132. Most of your textbooks remain unopened (possibly still shrink-wrapped) the entire semester.
-I've used all of my books, thanks.
133. Waking up in the morning and driving somewhere to get a friend's (or your) car becomes a norm.
-I've done this, but it's not a norm.
135. You go home for winter/summer break and suddenly your life back at college seems so exciting...
-This is so true!
136. You smell the clear liquid in your water bottle before you drink it... just to make sure it's actually water.
-Haha...I trust Poland Springs.
137. You discover new bruises on your body and wonder where the hell they came from.
-This has happened. I'm just accident prone.
138. You find alternate routes to class in order to avoid annoying organization booths and/or the preacher on campus.
-This has occurred, I'm sure, though nothing specific really comes to mind.
139. Two (more) words: Power Hour.
-Uh....
140. Lunchables are cool again.
-Never. That's a dark thing of the past. Takeout, on the other hand...
141. People make snow penises instead of snowmen.
-Oh gosh. I'm never going to view a snowlike figure in the same light. ><
142. You know at least five people who've burned popcorn.
-Haha...No.
143. You wonder why dorms stop serving breakfast at 11am. What gives?
-This actually doesn't happen at RU.
145. You can't sit in the front row because of all the 'non-traditional' students.
-Haha, I haven't experienced that yet.
146. You finish reading this and wonder how you can procrastinate next
-I'm on break. So no. I already know that Facebook's there though. ;)
