As you and your teen prepare for their imminent college move-in day, July and August can quickly become overwhelmed with Amazon carts, storage boxes, and never-ending lists of advice from friends and family. It can be difficult to know what information to weed out when you and your teen are constantly bombarded with seemingly-quintessential college tips.
As two college students ourselves, we can say we both heard these popular stereotypes in the days leading up to our freshman year, but we didn’t have anyone to tell us which information to ignore. However, we’re here to tell you what college stereotypes we’ve found to be accurate — and which are absolutely not.
You’ll be a broke college student: TRUE
Everyone says it because it’s true; it’s that simple. In college, your teen will learn how quickly they can spend money without intending to. Whether or not your teen will be working, college students blow through their money, no matter how fast they make it.
You’ll meet your soulmate in college: FALSE
Your teen should not go into college with the expectation that they will find the love of their life. It’s important for them to remember that college is a fleeting time in which they can live with their best friends; they have the rest of their lives to meet “The One”, so they shouldn’t feel overly pressured to rush into something that might not be there.
You will find your people: TRUE
While your teen may not meet their people immediately, they will find their group sooner rather than later. The friendships your teen will develop in college will be some of their most important. It’s okay for them not to find them at once, but they’re there.
You and your roommate will become best friends: FALSE
While it is great for your teen to get along with their roommate, they do not need to be best friends. It’s okay to co-exist and get along and not be attached at the hip. If they do become best friends, that’s even better, but they shouldn’t force a friendship that might not be worth their time and effort. Instead, your teen should be open to finding other connections and branching out past their dorm room.
It’s okay to do things alone: TRUE
While every teen struggles with FOMO, remind them that it’s totally fine to spend some alone time. After being constantly surrounded by their peers and friends, it can be beneficial for your teen and their mental health to take a break. Trust us, they won’t be missing out.
The library is just a place for studying: FALSE
While studying does occur in the library, that is definitely not its sole purpose. Everyone in college knows that the library is a studious area, but if your teen’s college is anything like ours, it’s also a place for them to meet their friends and catch up. Even if your teen doesn’t have much work, the library can be a social and exciting place.
You will be reading A LOT more in college: TRUE
It’s a sad reality. In college, the main homework that your teen will be given is reading. They will be expected to read hundreds of pages of handouts, books, and PDFs across their classes each week. As they will quickly learn, they will have to find a way to either make time for all their reading or learn what can be prioritized and what to push to the side.
You need to join a frat: FALSE
For many small liberal arts colleges, Greek life is simply not a necessary part of your teen’s time in college. While it can be fun and add to their college lifestyle, it is in no way a deal breaker for a good college experience. If your teen does choose to join one, remind them that it does not need to be their sole identity in college.
Your sleep schedule will be awful: TRUE
While your teen’s sleep schedule may start out in order, it will most definitely be in disarray within a few weeks. However, that’s college life, and all your teens’ friends will be in the same boat. Especially in their freshman year, your teen can feel the need to stay up later to grasp the college experience, and that’s totally fine, but they should know their sleep schedule will suffer. It’s okay to sleep a little less if it means they’re having fun with their friends.
You need to know what your major should be after your first year: FALSE
Your teen is at a small liberal arts school because they don’t know what they want to do yet. It’s okay for them to take time and explore the different paths offered to them. They shouldn’t feel rushed to decide their major early just because that’s the stereotype.
Before you go, check out where your favorite celeb parents are sending their kids to college.
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