I was one of those people who never really enjoyed high school life. I felt trapped, restricted, and out of my element. I couldn’t wait for college. And when I finally went to university, it was everything I imagined… and more! It’s been 3 years since I graduated from college but I still remember my experience vividly. Here are some things I miss from my college life.
Every semester, I would somehow end up with long free periods between classes. At first, I absolutely hated the lull and the lack of things to do. But after a while, I grew to love those times when I could just relax and hang out with my friends. Eventually, I also used my long free periods to catch up on homework, projects, papers, and lessons.
I met my long-time boyfriend in college. But before we became a couple, we were quite good friends. We had, and still have, a friendship that blossomed over lunch dates during Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We had different classes but without fail, even if we didn’t make plans, we’d wait for each other so we could eat lunch together.
I know that a lot of people dread the painstaking research, countless drafts, and sleepless nights that go into writing a credible thesis paper. However, as I look back on the time when I wrote my thesis paper, I realize that I would love to go through the whole process again. I guess it also helped that I wrote the paper with a partner – my boyfriend.
In college, I was lucky enough to have made good friends who didn’t mind my mood swings and my overall unconventionality. I even managed to belong to a group of friends who, I am happy to say, have stayed together to this very day. However, the bonding I experienced with them in college was really different from the bonding we have now. I guess there is something about the challenges of university that bring people together.
I won’t deny that one of the things I miss the most from my college life was the food found in and around the campus. The food in the campus cafeteria was a bit expensive but there were some dishes that I would crave for. There were also many small eateries around the campus that served affordable food. The food in those places weren’t always healthy but they were tasty and they filled me up.
There weren’t many professors who made an impact in my education. But the ones that did make an impact are those that I will probably remember for the rest of my life. There was my Mythology class professor who was a priest. I also liked my thesis adviser who was kind and very insightful. There was my theater professor was a play director who made every class interesting and memorable. I also loved my poetry and fiction professor who gave me a new appreciation for poetry.
In college, I majored in Linguistics and Literature so my classes revolved around these subjects. All my classes involved a lot of reading and writing so I really had to put in the time and effort. Despite all that, I miss my classes and wouldn’t mind taking them again. Because of all my linguistics and literature classes, I gained a new appreciation for the spoken and written word.
During my first year in university, I hung out with frat boys. They weren’t the best students in the world but they did teach me a few things about loosening up and chilling out. With them, I had lots of laughs and fun; I just forgot about my problems. We never did keep in touch but whenever I think back on the short time we hung out, I can’t help but smile.
I don’t like cheating so I never really participated in any of it in college. However, that still didn’t stop other people from trying to cheat off me. Luckily, I had long hair back then. All I had to do was bend down and cover my answers. Other tactics I used to discourage cheaters were: turning over my paper, crossing my arms over the answer sheet, sticking my tongue out when they signal for an answer, and passing it early to the teacher. It was so fun to see their disappointed faces.
A year before I was to graduate from college, the officers of the English Majors Association of my university decided to stage a musical. I auditioned for it and even if I totally blew the dance audition, I got in. What followed were weeks of juggling classes and rehearsals. It was very exhausting. However, because of the play production, I became closer to the other English majors and I gained new friends.
I really can’t deny what a wonderful experience college life was for me. All the frustrations and problems are negligible when I think of the lessons – life and academic – and wisdom I have learned and gained in those four and a half years. Now it’s your turn. Tell me something you miss from your college life. If you have yet to enter university, tell me something you look forward to.
Top Photo Credit: laurenlemon