College can be a whirlwind of emotions and a rollercoaster ride. Whether you are a freshman or senior, there are expectations of the perfect college experience– and whether you like it or not, reality hits and they are not always how we expect it to be.
Jeresa Camacho, a junior majoring in business administration defines her college experience as a “home away from home.”
“I had expected a great amount of studying, many parties, and getting a job while being able to join many clubs as a full time student. I expected sleepless nights of studying and living on campus,” Camacho said.
In reality, Camacho spent half of her college life in front of a screen in Zoom Classes due to the shutdown of face-to-face classes from the COVID-19 pandemic. “I couldn’t live in the dorms and couldn’t hang out with friends,” she said.
To bounce back from this situation, Camacho says that networking with her peers became her escape from reality.
“I have been able to live up to some of my expectations such as networking with many student organizations, being a part of study sessions, and hanging out with friends off campus,” she said.
Camacho generally spends about four hours on campus everyday. During the time that she is on campus, she is occupied with classes, study groups, and her role in many student organizations.
Maeyah Soberano, a junior majoring in biomedical, says that she believed her college experience to be just like a “high school mentality.”
“My general expectations of college life were coffee every single second, mental breakdowns, constant studying, a ton of homework, being burnt out, not having a social life, having a study group, but a lot of fun activities held by the College,” Soberano said.
Quickly, Soberano was faced with the reality that college did not fit her “high school mentality” expectation.. “I accept that some days are going to be stressful and some days are not going to go my way. It is okay to cry,” she said.
Soberano also says that she pictured her college life to be sipping a caramel macchiato, but in reality she is at home drinking water and watching YouTube.
“College is a whole other level. I value taking breaks and preventing burnouts to fully eliminate the mentality of high school,” Soberano said.
On the contrary, Jean Bactad, a junior business administration student shares that her college experience is predominantly living up to her expectations.
“I expected my college life would be filled with adventures like last-minute plans and the fulfillment of learning valuable information in my classes,” Bactad said.
Bactad says that she challenges herself to be in an overload because her expectation is a feeling of fulfillment for her future. She keeps herself busy by meeting up with friends to do homework and refueling herself through overpriced iced coffee.
Bactad generally spends long hours on campus due to the spread of classes from day to night.
With many wins, comes many loses, but with many loses, comes greater wins. College can be a handful to go through, but with a bigger mentality and positive surroundings, it can produce a more feasible reality.