Going off to college is full of uncertainties, but one thing is for certain: you’ve probably heard some myths about the college experience. At Her Campus, we think you deserve to know the truth. That’s why we’ve discovered some myths collegiettes heard when they were going off to college, and now we’re going to correct them, once and for all.
1. Professors will try to embarrass you
We’ve all heard those stories about professors who go out of their way to embarrass students, but let’s just put that to rest right here: most professors aren’t out to get you.
“Of course there are some scary ones just like high school has some scary teachers, but more professors are wonderful because they’re teachers who actually treat you like adults,” says Iesha Ismail, a senior at the University of Florida. “They’ll share their passion for their area of study unabashedly and they genuinely enjoy talking to students about complex topics (which doesn’t happen too often in high school). Go to their office hours, talk to them after class, don’t be afraid to get close to them because they (can be) incredible role models.”
There will undoubtedly be professors you don’t like for one reason or another, but it’s true that most of your professors aren’t going to be like that. Plus, if you find that you’re not vibing with one of your professors, you can try to switch into another section or take the class the following semester when a different professor might be teaching it.
2. Your grades will fall
College is definitely difficult, but that doesn’t mean you won’t rise to the occasion. Madeline McInnis, a senior at Wilfird Laurier University, says that she was told that it’s normal for your grades to drop 10 to 15 percent from high school to college.
“This myth is totally untrue,” she says. “If you put in effort and schedule your time properly, there’s no need for your grades to drop, and they might even go up! High school grades don’t matter at all beyond getting in, so you have a whole new reputation to build and uphold. As long as you can adapt, you can be super successful.”
Don’t let people scare you and your grades with this myth because, like Madeline says, your success is totally up to you.
Related: How to Narrow Down Your College Application List So You Won’t Have Regrets
3. Professors aren’t going to put with this behavior
One of the biggest myths we heard from our high school teachers was that professors wouldn’t put up with this behavior, whether that behavior was talking out of term or turning in an assignment with bad handwriting.
Savannah Seymour, a sophomore at Eastern Florida State, says, “(High school) teachers always say ‘they aren't going to put up with this behavior in college’ or ‘they'll be a lot harder on you once you're in college’ when in reality college is much more laid back than high school was.”
Not to say that college isn’t hard, but professors generally aren’t trying to make life harder for you than it needs to be, so no worries here.
4. College is a totally fresh start
College is the beginning of a new chapter, but it’s not necessarily a completely fresh start, particularly if you’re going into college already knowing people. Claire Caviglia, a senior at the University of Denver, went to college out-of-state and says she went in thinking that everyone else was starting over completely, too. “That didn’t ring true, especially since so many people do go to school in-state or with people from their community,” she says. “I’m still close friends with my freshman year roommate and hallmates, but it was jarring at first to realize that people already had friend groups before the first day. But never fear, everyone eventually settles in and finds her/his group!” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Going off to college is full of uncertainties, but fight the urge to worry about all of the little things. You’ll find professors you love, make friends that will last a lifetime and be on your way to an amazing career after (or sometimes even before) those four years are said and done. Everything will be okay.