College: Expectations vs Reality
Inigo describes some of his initial assumptions about college life, and assesses their accuracy
Inigo describes some of his initial assumptions about college life, and assesses their accuracy
The Carleton experience
College is big.
Both physically, and in its emblematic presence.
It represents a big change of scenery. A big change of pace. A big change in the people you know, and relationships you maintain.
Its grandeur means it’s garnered a sort of fabled reputation in popular culture. College isn’t just school, it’s a lifestyle. A place where anything and everything can happen, where parties rage into the dark hours of the morning, where schoolwork piles up like the rubble that wiped Pompeii from the map. But does it deserve this notoriety? Which expectations of mine were fulfilled my first year, and which were not?
I’ll briefly take you through some of my presuppositions before coming to Carleton. In an effort to appeal to the Letterboxd fans out there, I’ll assess how accurate they were by ranking them on a scale from 1 to 10: the lowest meaning “totally incorrect”, and the highest indicating “100% spot on”.
Expectation: the food will be bad
Maybe it was my high school dining experience tainting my assumptions, but I initially had severe doubts that any meal service provider that had to serve 2,000 kids three times a day would manage to cook decent food. Turns out I was mostly wrong. I generally think the food at Carleton is pretty good. It’s possible that my particular oh-so-low expectations made it taste even better, but I think anyone will be able to tell you that the meals aren’t half bad, and the variety that’s available makes up for most shortcomings.
Accuracy rating: 3
Expectation: people party every night
This seems like a natural assumption given the way college is represented in most media. Think the red cups, beer pong, thumping music, and sweat-soaked basement raves. To be honest, though, people keep their heads in their books most weeknights. Friday and Saturday offer opportunities for people looking to go out, but an institution of waking up every morning filled with headaches and regret—Carleton is not.
Accuracy rating: 2
Expectation: you have so much more freedom
College life is certainly a step up in terms of personal autonomy. There can be pros and cons: on the one hand, the lack of immediate parental support can be daunting. On the other, if you decide one day that you want to have ice cream for dinner… no one’s gonna stop you. You get used to figuring things out for yourself a bit more. But don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need support: there are always people to lean on!
Accuracy rating: 8
Expectation: you have no free time because of schoolwork
I’d qualify this as a slight misjudgment rather than flat out incorrect. It’s true that the homework load is much heavier than in high school, and expectations are higher. But it doesn’t feel overwhelming because of the schedule of the classes: on any given day, I have, at most, 2 70-minute-long lessons to attend, and the rest of my day is essentially free for me to mold into whatever I think will be most productive.
Accuracy rating: 3
I hope these offer some insights (and possibly quell some fears!) about Carleton life and the college experience in general. Adjustments take time, of course, but trust me: soon enough you’ll find yourself in a routine that works well for you.
Inigo (he/him/his) is trying very hard to turn interests in subjects like film, english, and psychology into a manageable course load. Originally from Somerville, Massachusetts, he can often be found running in the Cowling Arboretum (and getting passed by everyone on the cross country team) or rock climbing at the bouldering cave in the evening. He loves Carleton’s walkability: it didn’t even matter that he forgot to bring his bike to campus. He considers bad horror movies to be the ultimate form of entertainment.