What I Learned After Two Years of College

I recently completed my sophomore year of college. That means I am halfway done with my undergraduate education, which I find very hard to believe. It hasn't hit me yet, and it probably won't until I'm halfway done with my junior year.
But since I've experienced two years in college, I've learned quite a few things outside of the lecture hall. Some of these things may apply to you. Some may not. Some of these things may sound a little negative or pessimistic, but that's definitely not my intention. I just want to share what I've learned and experienced to help others, and since everyone's college experience is different, you might not need what I've learned. But reading what others have learned never hurts!

Hallene Gateway at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

It's not always easy to maintain friendships.

Sure, you may have met someone at the beginning of the year who you think is going to be a pretty good friend, but just like how you drift apart from people you considered friends in high school, you're probably going to drift apart from some of the friends you make in college. 

I think this applies most to people you meet at the beginning of the school year before classes and everything else have began. Making friends at that time gives you time to hang out with that person and get to know them before the chaos of the semester begins. 

But as the semester goes on, you both get busy and involved. If you don't get to see each other often, then it's even harder. It's not like high school where you get to see the same people everyday in class or at lunch. Even if it is easier to go out on weekdays in college, it's not always easy to hang out with the people you want. You both meet new people along the way, possibly people that you connect and mesh more with than each other. 

I'm not trying to be pessimistic. I'm just being realistic. You meet a lot of people in college, but it's not easy to actually maintain friendships with everyone you start to form friendships with. But it never hurts to add these people on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Get their phone numbers. Even if you do drift apart after initially becoming friends, you can always go back and contact them if you want to try to become better friends or just need someone else to talk to. They might be able to help you out in the future with connections or a class. You might not be so close to them now, but maybe you'll be able to form a better friendship later on in the year, when classes and everything dies down, or in your collegiate career. But it'll be a lot harder to do that if you don't know how to reach them!

If you're having trouble making/keeping friends, it won't last forever.

So the person you met earlier that year isn't much of a friend to you anymore because he/she is closer with other people. Maybe you're not best friends with your roommate from freshman year like you though you'd be. You might not be making friends in that club you joined. You just might not feel like you belong in your club. It may feel like you're having trouble with friends. You might be feeling left out after scrolling through your Facebook and Instagram feeds, seeing all these people you know (maybe even your friends) go out and have fun without you. But don't worry.
You just need to find where you fit it and who you mesh well with. You might not find this person/these people right away. You might have to wait a few semesters. Maybe that club where you fit well in doesn't even exist yet. But you'll find your place, and you'll find people that you'll become close to.
Things take time.

No matter how many shirts you own with your school's name, logo, etc. on it, you're going to want more.

The back of my favorite Illinois shirt

The moment you know you're going to attend a certain school, you probably bought a t-shirt or sweatshirt with that school's name on it, right? And then when you actually get to school and are actually a student there, you probably get at least one free t-shirt with your school's name on it. Then you go to the bookstore to look at books. But then you see cool shirts with the logo or mascot on it. So you buy a few shirts, because what else are you going to wear on lazy days and game days?
And if your school goes through rebranding like Illinois just did with Nike last year, then you're going to want all the updated stuff!
If you're a big fan of a sport like I am with gymnastics, you're going to want all of the gear for that sport that you can find! (I have seven Illinois gymnastics shirts and counting. And that's just Illini gymnastics shirts.)

Then if you like spirit jerseys, this is definitely no exception. First, you'll see the spirit jersey in your school's colors, buy it, realize how comfy they are, and then want another. Then during a different season, you'll see another school spirit jersey in other colors and want those because you don't have those yet!

I'm not in a sorority, but this definitely applies to that as well. I see a lot of sorority girls on campus with cute shirts that have their sorority's letters on them and ones for events and whatnot, and I'd definitely want them all too if I were in a sorority.

If you love your school--and you likely will if it's where you feel like you belong--then you're going to want to show it, and shirts and other clothing items are an easy way to do it. Plus, who can resist the cute shirts they keep making?

You eat a lot of the same food over and over again.

There are only so many foods college students can typically afford and have access to while on campus, so it's pretty likely that you'll be eating the same thing a lot.
For example, there are quite a few sandwich shops at Illinois, so I eat sandwiches a lot. And Jimmy John's delivers, so it's tempting to be lazy and just eat their sandwiches when you're too lazy to go out. Also, dining halls and centers tend to serve the same food over and over again, so if you eat there, you'll tend to eat what you do like from there repeatedly.Plus, buying groceries and trying those recipes you have on Pinterest is easier said than done.
So props to you if you're in college and eat a wide variety of food in a large span of time!

Group projects will happen often.

It's highly probable that you'll have at least one group project per semester. It's more likely that you'll have multiple group projects in one semester. It's also likely that you won't get to pick your group. I have only been able to choose who I worked with once out of several group projects.I know group projects are hardly anyone's favorite, but college and group projects are two peas in a pod. Working in groups can be really frustrating, but it's just to prepare you for what's to come. When you're done with college and are out in the real world, you're going to have to work with other people, and you won't always like them. So even when you're doing a group project that you really don't like and are working with someone you can't stand, just try to focus on what needs to get done. While group projects are something you're going to encounter a lot, there is a bright side. You won't have to do the same project over and over again, and you won't have to work with the same exact people over and over again.

Don't just go to football and basketball games.

While those are the two most popular sports on most college campuses, there are a lot of other sports universities have that are just as fun to watch and attend. 

As an avid gymnastics fan, I speak from experience. NCAA gymnastics meets are unlike any other collegiate sporting events. They are so much fun to go to and watch. Gymnastics is a very popular Olympic sport, so why not watch it during non-Olympic years? Collegiate gymnastics is full of team spirit and astonishing skills. Some collegiate gymnasts are former Olympians, World Champions, and even current elite-level gymnasts. If you enjoy watching Olympic gymnastics, NCAA gymnastics is just as much fun to watch. They've both got that team sports vibe that's popular in the U.S., and who doesn't think watching people do crazy flips is fun?

In addition to gymnastics, football, and basketball, I've also been to a swimming and diving meet as well as a soccer game. Just like gymnastics, swimming is a popular Olympic sport. If it's at your university, why not watch it? Watching swimmers race and potentially break records is a sight to see. Plus, diving is pretty cool too. It's sort of like gymnastics. Watching people flip is fun!
Soccer's not as big in the U.S. as it is in the rest of the world, but it's still enjoyable to watch. If your basketball and football teams aren't the best, then it's likely that the less-popular sports are actually pretty good and high in the rankings. If you limit yourself to just football and basketball, you could be missing your chance at witnessing some great athletics and future professional athletes.
I still have yet to go to an Illini basbeall game, and I'm upset that I haven't, because I missed out on some great baseball! This season, the Illini had a 27-game winning streak and were Big Ten Regular Season Champs! I could have witnessed that amazing history, but I didn't. Don't miss out on the smaller sports and their success, because it's still exciting and fun to watch.