Q & A (from: What to Know Before Attending College)

I opened up the option for several people who will be starting college within the next couple of years to ask me questions about what college is like, so here they are along with my attempt to answer them.

Q:  What is dorm life like?

A:  This really depends on where you go.  For me, dorm life was pretty awesome.  I had an amazing RA and met the guys that have become some of my closest friends.  My advice: don’t be shy.  Leave your door open when you’re in the dorm, introduce yourself to people, and hang out with complete strangers.  Just don’t become a hermit that spends all of your free time alone in your dorm.

Q:  What do you wish you did before college and what are you glad that you did?

A:  This is kind of two different questions, but they both have the same answer.  I wish I had spent more time with family and friends from home before I left, and I am glad that I spent the time with them that I did.  You realize how important someone really is in your life when you don’t see them as often as you used to.

Q:  What is there to do outside of school work?

A:  This really depends on your hobbies and the town that your college is in.  I would suggest learning as much about the community around your school as possible.  For me, there is a lot of outdoorsy stuff to do around Cookeville.  I love being outside, so a lot of the free time I have is spent at a park or a waterfall.  Make friends with some locals too so that they can show you around and give you an idea of what there is to do around town.

Q:  How can I make friends and what kind of stuff is there to get involved in?

A:  Be friendly and be outgoing.  Feel free to talk to people before class starts.  Find clubs and organizations that focus on things you like to do.  If you like sports, intramurals are an awesome way to meet new people.  Sororities and fraternities can be a good way to meet people too, but if you’re gonna go that route, find one that isn’t just one big party.  Find a sorority or fraternity that gives back to the community or that focuses on God (those may be hard to find but they do exist).  I mentioned it in the previous post, but get involved with a local church or campus outreach program, or both!  More than just attend it, find a way to volunteer.  Trust me; this will benefit you as much as it does them, if not more.

Q:  How much free time will I have?

A:  This was covered a little in the previous blog also, but I will restate what I said earlier.  This depends on your major, how many credit hours you take, and what you involve yourself with outside of school work.  My first semester I tried taking 18 credit hours and working 32+ hours per week at two different jobs.  I highly recommend NOT doing that.  I had absolutely zero free time and not a whole lot of sleep.  After the first couple of weeks of school, find a good rhythm.  Get into a groove and try to follow somewhat of a schedule with homework, sleep, and food.  Managing your time well will open up a lot of free time.

Q:  Am I going to be in debt forever?

A:  I hope not.  Whatever you want to do after college, find a school that has a good reputation in that field of study and isn’t insanely expensive.  Apply for tons of scholarships!  The school’s financial aid office should be able to help as well.  Just be smart with money both during college and after.

Q:  How do you room with someone that is not a family member, even if you were friends with them beforehand?

A:  Being roommates with someone can be a dangerous situation.  This is where you really, REALLY get to know who the person is that you may have thought you knew beforehand.  You get to see all of their flaws and mistakes, they get to see all of yours, and you both get to get on each other’s nerves.  For me, my situation with my current roommate is pretty awesome.  We were friends before we lived together, and we are some of the only people that I know that actually got closer while living together (instead of the average which is learning to hate the person you used to like).  There has to be a huge level of respect between the two of you.  Spending time with your roommate is a good thing, but you don’t have to spend every waking moment together.  Space is a good thing too.  Respect them and respect their stuff and everything should be fine.

Q:  Is the food averagely good?

A:  This question makes me laugh, especially knowing who it came from and their love of food.  At Tennessee Tech, it’s okay.  Some days are better than others.  The only other college that I have eaten at was Christian Brothers University in Memphis, and it has been the same as TTU, so I assume all the others are the same.  You might get bored of it after a while, but it’s not horrible.