I am a sophomore in college, and for the most part, life is pretty good. I can manage my own workload, stay out as late as I want to and hang out with my buddies whenever I please. Oh, the freedom is quite nice. There are a few things about college, however, that sort of gross me out. When I came to school on the first day I thought I was going to be surrounded by people that were..well..adults. But alas, no. Some of the kids at my school are pretty nasty and don’t know how to do things as simple as cleaning up after themselves. Thus, I have made a list of the greatest and grossest parts about being at college.

Grossest:

1. The Bathrooms

I have lived in coed and single sex housing and his is quite possibly the WORST thing about college (or at least mine). The bathrooms are always filthy no matter how often the cleaning staff comes in. I honestly feel badly for the staff because they come in 5 days a week and the bathrooms are always gross and terrible. The worst feeling may be when I am trying to take a shower and I turn around and there are giant clumps of hair plastered to the shower wall. Also, people have problems flushing the toilet so I often get fantastic surprises about 67% of the time I go to use the bathroom. Dirty bathrooms=foul. 

2. Frat Parties

This is sort of a no-brainer, frat parties are fun, but there are so many fluids flying around the room that it can be sort of a horrifying experience to step foot into a frat house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had beverages spilled on me (And my shoes. I plan accordingly now), sweat splashed into my face or vomit spewed 3 steps away from me. I feel like Indiana Jones trying to bust out of there! Plus there are always a TON of kids at the parties (I think the brothers let too many people in)

3. Eating The Same Food Over and Over Again

I feel like I eat the same things over and over again at school. I either eat a hummus sandwich, a burrito or some sort of salad. This is mostly just a personal problem because I am a vegetarian and my school doesn’t have a TON of veggie-friendly options, but I personally can’t wait for spring break so I can have a break from my usual hummus, onion and tomato sandwich.

Greatest:

1. Taking The Classes You’re Actually Interested In

One thing I couldn’t STAND about high school was being forced to take classes that I didn’t care anything about. College is so much better class-wise because you can take courses that you are interested in that will still fulfill your goals for graduation. For instance, I’m a media major so I take a slew of film courses (right now I’m in a course about the west so we watch a western once a week), art courses and writing courses and I love it. So much better than taking algebra 2 and chemistry (for me, anyways)

2. Having Your Friends Close By

I grew up in a place where my closest friend lived about fifteen minutes away. In college, your friends are right there and it is the greatest thing ever. My best friend lives on the floor above me in our dorm and whenever we are getting ready to go to class she just comes downstairs and we’re all set to go! Plus it’s nice when you are hanging out with your friends late at night and instead of having to drive back to your house you can either walk downstairs (in my situation) or take a stroll across campus (if your school is small enough.)

3. Having A Gym 2 Minutes Away

I know this may sound sort of weird, but I love having a gym close to my room. It has kept me in shape (it’s a good way to avoid the freshman 15…that actually exists, little did I know) and it’s fun going to group exercise classes with friends or just going alone. It may not seem like the most fun thing to do, but I love getting up at around 9am, going to the gym and grabbing breakfast before class. It makes me feel so refreshed! Plus, it’s a very social experience, I love it.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of college?