College is extremely different from high school. For the most part, I have found those differences to be positive and refreshing. However, there are some things that have taken on a whole new meaning for me in college and I thought it would be cool to share them.
1. Friendship
2. Sleep
3. Practice
1. Friendship
I adore all of my high school friends and still keep in touch with many of them. We have built lasting bonds over years of shared fun and memories. But in high school, it was go to class, go home, and maybe see my friends for the two hours we had similar schedules. I can't escape my friends here, which is actually a lovely lovely thing. It's such a treat to have buddies in practically all of my classes so I don't feel alone. I spend my weekends going to theater shows with them and eat dinner nearly every night with the same four people I genuinely love to catch up with. I even freaked out having my roommate gone for a week! When you fall asleep every night with a body in the lofted bed across from you, that becomes the norm. So in a way, the friends I've made at Western know me really really well because we're either forced to or make a point to see each other on the daily. This of course means that I have become attached to these people very easily and treasure their humorous and heartwarming company. I'm trying not to think about the separation sadness this summer will bring.
2. Sleep
I resented having a bed time as a child. Mostly because Whose Line is it Anyway? was on at 10 p.m. and I thought it was hysterical. All throughout high school, I tried to be in bed by 10 p.m. and became very antsy if I wasn't. The latest I have stayed up while at college is 3 a.m. Needless to say, that was an awful idea. My college workload is unpredictable so some nights I'm in bed at 9 and other nights I'm in my lounge studying till midnight. I am not a cranky person if I don't get adequate sleep, but I am most definitely an exhausted spacey person. Frankly, I do not have the time to be that kind of person. Also, I do not have the time to nap. Everyone in college is obsessed with napping, but napping for me turns out to be a solid 1-3 hours. No way Jose! So sleep is very important to me, because if I wake up to the annoying sound of my alarm restless and dead-tired, I know it'll be a bad day.
3. Practice
I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I was on top of everything in high school. I practiced my All State Choir music daily, developed a rigorous piano practice schedule, and had my lines memorized for my senior school musical before rehearsals even started. Granted, I did most of that out of fear of failure, but hey, it helped me in the long run. Being a BFA means my main three focuses are acting, singing, and dancing. That means each area requires my full devotion and energy. If I'm not in a practice room at least three times a week, not reading scripts and memorizing monologues, or not finding extra time to practice dance combinations in my lounge, I am doing myself a disservice. I came here and was chosen for this program for a reason. I do not intend on wasting this amazing opportunity by being unprepared and unenthused.
4. Email
I have three different email accounts which means three different usernames and passwords. My mom hates memorizing passwords with a burning passion and I can guarantee I will be the same when I reach her age. For now, it's just difficult to remember to update all of these on a frequent basis. I can usually get by with avoiding my personal ones, but if I don't check my school email daily, I'm in trouble. In high school, all I really used my email for was to discuss absences and assignments with teachers. I do not survive without the information given to me through my college email. Thankfully, my friend recently showed me how to get those messages straight to my phone and since it irks me to see that red bubble displaying the amount of unread items, I take care of it right away. Gosh, don't you love technology?!
5. Weekends
The weekends in high school never came because the week days dragged on and and on. In college, the weekends arrive as they should, but then leave much too quickly. I wish I could say that my weekends consist of Netflix binging and sleeping in till noon, but sadly that is not the life I lead as a freshman. I am up no later than 9:30 a.m. following my to-do list diligently. Weekends are a gift to catch up on or get ahead of all of my shit; therefore I take them pretty seriously. Oh, and brunch is on the weekends. Brunch is beautiful and so are cinnamon rolls.
6. Partying
I thought this would be an appropriate topic to follow the weekends. ;) I have been to a total of four parties while at college. I genuinely enjoyed one of them. The students in the theater department throw great parties and it's all people I'm comfortable around. Problem is, my fun is sober fun, and that is not what occurs on college campuses. I know, shocker! My "parties" in high school were inviting 5-10 of my close friends to my house, eating a lot, and screaming over each other while trying to play games. Those are some wonderful memories. Apparently, college takes partying to a level that Libby wasn't prepared for. I remember one night in which my girlfriends and I went to a crowded (and I mean crowded) frat house and almost immediately my clothes reeked of alcohol, a kid five feet away from me threw up, and a creepy dude started to dance on me and when he asked me my name I gave him a fake one. I've seen Criminal Minds people, can't be too trusting. We stayed for maybe 30 minutes and then got the hell out of there. Ever since then, I have decided to stick to environments I know won't freak me out.
7. My Car
I honestly cannot imagine being four aways from home without my car. It is so convenient to simply hop in my car and run some errands or drive to class or pick up friends from the train station. I detest public transportation and love the ability to play any of my 10+ car CDs. I usually fill 90% of my car with junk when I depart and return to Macomb over long breaks. Without my car, I'd be forced to leave so much stuff at home; which could actually be a good thing, but hey, point is, my car is my everything.
8. Being Sick
I have long moved on from the days where I secretly loved being sick so my parents would take care of me. I couldn't stand being sick in high school and in college it's so much worse. In high school, I would take a sick day and miss three assignments and a test. Thankfully, I haven't had to take a sick day in college yet, but I can only imagine how far behind it would put me. I just don't feel like myself when I'm sick. Productivity flies out the window, I'm constantly tired, and my appetite totally deteriorates. And guess what? I'm a BFA. So my voice is basically my major. If it's in bad shape, I'm screwed. I try to combat colds as soon as they hit, but there's no guarantee to guard from illness. College + the common cold = craptastic.
9. Relationships
I didn't really date in high school, and I definitely haven't dated in college. In high school, my lack of relationships stemmed from poor self-esteem whereas in college, it's honestly just overwhelming to think about dating anyone. I am a busy individual, which doesn't mean I won't make time for someone that I really like and care about. It simply means that I have to really like and care about them. That's why I admire relationships that bloom from friendship and shared interests. That's also why I don't admire the hookup culture so widely accepted nowadays in college. Just because committing to another person scares me, doesn't mean I would rather have sex with a lot of guys so I feel like I'm having some sort of success in the romance department. That's not meant to throw shade at people who are cool with casual hook-ups, I just know it's not for me. I like having ownership and control over my life and I guess I assume that goes away when you make room for a significant other. That's why I'm so hesitant when it comes to guys. I've learned not to waste my time with anyone that I don't trust to keep my heart safe. That may make me picky, but I also have priorities. And I won't make you one if you don't make me one.
10. Maturity
I have always considered myself to be a wise old soul. My friends in high school told me I was a goody two shoes and the mom of our group. My senior year of high school allowed me to grow so much and made me realize how important it is to be the one that has it (mostly) together. I have a lot on my plate here at college, so the minute I start slacking, my well being starts to tear rapidly at the seams. I try my best to stay physically and emotionally healthy with all that I have going on and a huge part of that is being a good, genuine, and goal-oriented person. It's harder than you think! It means I am in charge of many things I didn't have to be in charge of before. While that's exciting, it's also pretty daunting. Respect and responsibility matter a heck of a lot more in college than it did in elementary school. As cheesy as it sounds, the way I survive is by being optimistic and kind. It takes a lot of maturity to suck it up and do the things you don't want to do with a smile on your face and an outstretched hand to help. My mentor/buddy for theater is a year ahead of me and I swear, that girl is the most remarkable human being. I have never seen her complain or talk about how unfair her situation is. She is intelligent, talented, patient, compassionate, and stands out because of her maturity. I am tremendously inspired by her.
I do miss some of the ease and breathing room that came with high school, but college is a constant challenge and every day I'm becoming more acquainted with the stress. It's amazing how certain things take on a whole new significance when I encounter them at a different time in my life.
4. Email
I have three different email accounts which means three different usernames and passwords. My mom hates memorizing passwords with a burning passion and I can guarantee I will be the same when I reach her age. For now, it's just difficult to remember to update all of these on a frequent basis. I can usually get by with avoiding my personal ones, but if I don't check my school email daily, I'm in trouble. In high school, all I really used my email for was to discuss absences and assignments with teachers. I do not survive without the information given to me through my college email. Thankfully, my friend recently showed me how to get those messages straight to my phone and since it irks me to see that red bubble displaying the amount of unread items, I take care of it right away. Gosh, don't you love technology?!
5. Weekends
The weekends in high school never came because the week days dragged on and and on. In college, the weekends arrive as they should, but then leave much too quickly. I wish I could say that my weekends consist of Netflix binging and sleeping in till noon, but sadly that is not the life I lead as a freshman. I am up no later than 9:30 a.m. following my to-do list diligently. Weekends are a gift to catch up on or get ahead of all of my shit; therefore I take them pretty seriously. Oh, and brunch is on the weekends. Brunch is beautiful and so are cinnamon rolls.
6. Partying
I thought this would be an appropriate topic to follow the weekends. ;) I have been to a total of four parties while at college. I genuinely enjoyed one of them. The students in the theater department throw great parties and it's all people I'm comfortable around. Problem is, my fun is sober fun, and that is not what occurs on college campuses. I know, shocker! My "parties" in high school were inviting 5-10 of my close friends to my house, eating a lot, and screaming over each other while trying to play games. Those are some wonderful memories. Apparently, college takes partying to a level that Libby wasn't prepared for. I remember one night in which my girlfriends and I went to a crowded (and I mean crowded) frat house and almost immediately my clothes reeked of alcohol, a kid five feet away from me threw up, and a creepy dude started to dance on me and when he asked me my name I gave him a fake one. I've seen Criminal Minds people, can't be too trusting. We stayed for maybe 30 minutes and then got the hell out of there. Ever since then, I have decided to stick to environments I know won't freak me out.
7. My Car
I honestly cannot imagine being four aways from home without my car. It is so convenient to simply hop in my car and run some errands or drive to class or pick up friends from the train station. I detest public transportation and love the ability to play any of my 10+ car CDs. I usually fill 90% of my car with junk when I depart and return to Macomb over long breaks. Without my car, I'd be forced to leave so much stuff at home; which could actually be a good thing, but hey, point is, my car is my everything.
8. Being Sick
I have long moved on from the days where I secretly loved being sick so my parents would take care of me. I couldn't stand being sick in high school and in college it's so much worse. In high school, I would take a sick day and miss three assignments and a test. Thankfully, I haven't had to take a sick day in college yet, but I can only imagine how far behind it would put me. I just don't feel like myself when I'm sick. Productivity flies out the window, I'm constantly tired, and my appetite totally deteriorates. And guess what? I'm a BFA. So my voice is basically my major. If it's in bad shape, I'm screwed. I try to combat colds as soon as they hit, but there's no guarantee to guard from illness. College + the common cold = craptastic.
9. Relationships
I didn't really date in high school, and I definitely haven't dated in college. In high school, my lack of relationships stemmed from poor self-esteem whereas in college, it's honestly just overwhelming to think about dating anyone. I am a busy individual, which doesn't mean I won't make time for someone that I really like and care about. It simply means that I have to really like and care about them. That's why I admire relationships that bloom from friendship and shared interests. That's also why I don't admire the hookup culture so widely accepted nowadays in college. Just because committing to another person scares me, doesn't mean I would rather have sex with a lot of guys so I feel like I'm having some sort of success in the romance department. That's not meant to throw shade at people who are cool with casual hook-ups, I just know it's not for me. I like having ownership and control over my life and I guess I assume that goes away when you make room for a significant other. That's why I'm so hesitant when it comes to guys. I've learned not to waste my time with anyone that I don't trust to keep my heart safe. That may make me picky, but I also have priorities. And I won't make you one if you don't make me one.
I have always considered myself to be a wise old soul. My friends in high school told me I was a goody two shoes and the mom of our group. My senior year of high school allowed me to grow so much and made me realize how important it is to be the one that has it (mostly) together. I have a lot on my plate here at college, so the minute I start slacking, my well being starts to tear rapidly at the seams. I try my best to stay physically and emotionally healthy with all that I have going on and a huge part of that is being a good, genuine, and goal-oriented person. It's harder than you think! It means I am in charge of many things I didn't have to be in charge of before. While that's exciting, it's also pretty daunting. Respect and responsibility matter a heck of a lot more in college than it did in elementary school. As cheesy as it sounds, the way I survive is by being optimistic and kind. It takes a lot of maturity to suck it up and do the things you don't want to do with a smile on your face and an outstretched hand to help. My mentor/buddy for theater is a year ahead of me and I swear, that girl is the most remarkable human being. I have never seen her complain or talk about how unfair her situation is. She is intelligent, talented, patient, compassionate, and stands out because of her maturity. I am tremendously inspired by her.
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