When you start preparing for college, a lot of people around you will try to make it seem scarier than it really is, thinking that will make you be more disciplined. Many teachers will try to make you feel like college professors and classes are completely different; as if you were going to face some terrible monsters in some really impossible battle. Some of them do it with the purpose of making you stay in line and do things right. Others just had really bad college experiences. However, most of the times you hear frightening things and that makes you feel anxious for the future. For that very reason, here are four things that no one tells you about college:

Classes Are Not as Impossible as High School Teachers Say

High school students –particularly seniors and those who may fall below the average score– are told they will not pass their college classes. They are made to feel that the classes they will take are extremely hard and very difficult to pass. My belief is that many teachers do this because they want students to discipline themselves and prepare for the different challenges college will bring. However, I have come to realize that college classes are not that different. Do not get me wrong, they will present their own challenges and you have to study in order to stay up to date, but they are definitely classes you can pass if you want to.

Teachers Are Far More Accessible

My personal experience is that, during my last three years of high school, many of my teachers said the way we talked to them was not the way we would be able to communicate with college professors. You start believing there will be this sort of barrier between you and them; as if they are far too superior and will not level with you. For me, that is one of the first things I noticed was incorrect about what I had heard from others. I realized college teachers are more accessible than any other teachers I have ever had. They are always willing to meet with you, explain things further, discuss your issues, and help you if needed. Yes, you will meet some who do put distance between them and their students, but not as many as the ones who will do everything they can for their students to pass their class.

Your Classmates Are Not Judging You

When you start college, you might be afraid of what other students may think about you or how advanced they might be in certain classes compared to you. You think that even though you all chose the same major, they might have more knowledge than you. Let me tell you they are not in that class to judge you. Most of the students you will meet are just as scared as you are. They are there because they have the same –or similar– interests and want to learn as much as possible. They will become your allies and they will be reachable in case you need help during class. Trust your classmates and rely on those you know have the same goals as you.

College Does Not Define You

Everyone tells you to go to college. Teachers push you to pursue a major. Your family will encourage you to have a career. What they do not tell you is that college does not define you. Getting an education is important but what defines you is what you do with the knowledge you acquire. The choices you make during your college journey and then in your professional career are the ones that will define who you become as a person. Use that experience to become the best version of yourself and make yourself proud.

College is one of the best experiences you will ever have and you are lucky if you get to attend. Listen to what people have to say about it, pay attention to their advice, but always remember that everyone has a different experience. What they say may not be what you go through; there is always something no one tells you about college. As long as you go in knowing that anything could happen and that you have the opportunity to benefit yourself, you will be fine. Remember to stay open to new opportunities and not let your fears and anxieties get in the way. After all, college is full of surprises.

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