Things I Learned in Freshman Year

In high school, the "university experience" was mystical. It was something that was on everyone's tongues throughout senior year. We'd fantasize about the parties we'd attend, the friends we'd meet, and the freedom we'd have away from public education. We'd go to university fairs and university representatives would come to our high school, shoving colourful pamphlets in our faces featuring smiling students sitting in poppy fields with books in their hands. University. A new chapter in my life. A step into adulthood. And it is nothing as I expected it to be, nothing like the candied university booklets I received by the dozen in high school. Here are some raw facts about university life, and the things I learned during my freshman year:

1. The "university experience" is mostly one of cramming for tests and exams. In high school, you may have had a test every now and then, and exam periods once during a 5-month semester. In university, you have midterm exams and final exams every 4-month semester, so it's a substantial increase in workload from those teenage days.
2. No one cares if you show up for class. Seriously. At the beginning of the year, I tried to attend every tutorial and every lecture, and I sat at the front hoping that the professor would notice that I attended every lesson. By the end of the 8 month course, the professor didn't even know my name. The point is that you are free to attend or not attend class. But with great freedom comes great responsibility. Miss too many tutorials, and your grade will suffer.
3. Cafeteria food grows on you. As a commuter student, I don't have time or energy to make my own lunch every morning. I eat on campus every day, and contribute to their profit of way overpriced shawarma wraps, pasta, and Thai noodles. They're just so delicious. Even rubber tires would be delicious when you're on campus for 12 hours.
4. Get used to people being suspicious of you. In my philosophy class, something like 20% of students plagiarized on their first essay. TAs and profs will stress don't plagiarize every chance they get, not only because it's their job to repeat the same rules over and over again, but because plagiarizers are everywhere. This applies to cheating on exams as well. There is no joking around during an exam. If the supervisor catches you staring at the ceiling for too long, he will begin to get suspicious. The penalties for cheating or plagiarizing are as severe as getting expelled. Don't do it.
5. Coffee is a staple to your diet. Not a day goes by without an obligatory cup of coffee. Or two. Luckily, there is a coffee shop in practically every building on campus. Coffee helps keep your eyes open during that evening lecture and keeps you studying all night long.
6. Fellow classmates are extremely irritating. In university, the competition levels rise as everyone tries to maintain the highest GPA. Then again, there is a large proportion of students who are at university simply because their parents told them to. This means that your fellow classmates are comprised of keeners as well as students who play Neopets throughout the entire lecture (true story). You will meet the most brilliant people in university, but some will be the most obnoxious and irritating people you've ever met. In one of my evening lectures, three girls with Michael Kors purses brought their little Chihuahua to class. They fed it treats throughout the lecture. Is that even legal? They also talked really loudly and the only thing I remember from that class is "how are you liking the lesson, Princess? Who's a good puppyyyyyy?"
7. University parties are not what they're hyped up to be. There isn't total freedom in the dorms, as there are these magical supervisors called "dons" who control student activity, much like hall supervisors did in high school. You/your parents aren't paying 11K for pure freedom. Dorm life has its limits. Of course, there are frat parties, which I don't recommend attending unless you really despise your liver or you just broke up with your boyfriend.
8. The work load increases ten fold. I mentioned this already, but I have to stress it. The work load rises at an exponential rate. And no one checks if you're doing your homework. You get a syllabus at the beginning of the course, and as an arts student, for example, you may have 50-100 pages a week of reading. And that's just for one course. A full course load is comprised of five courses. For literature class, we were expected to read a novel a week. Even though the amount of reading is intense, the content is quite interesting. Most of the time.
9. The grades really do drop. Unless you're some sort of genius or have absolutely no social life, I assure you your grades will drop. The jump from grade 12 to freshman year is so steep that it's almost impossible not to slip. Used to getting 90s in high school? Expect Bs and Cs in university. If you're lucky. As an example, the average on the midterm exam for my philosophy class was 47%.
10. The only person there for you at the end of the day is yourself. True friends are there for you, but they have their own bubble of exams and stress to deal with. Your parents claim that you're an adult now. This leaves you by yourself at the end of the day. You have to care about your own grades if you want to succeed, which means you need to establish your own goals and develop time management skills. It also means you have to become more independent, and, yeah, grow up.
11. Drama is close to zero. In university there is still a substantial amount of drama amongst peers, as is natural for any group of hormone crazed young adults. But everything is bigger. The classrooms are large...some lectures have up to 1500 students. You think these 1500 students care that you're dating the "hottest girl ever"? Nope. Say goodbye to attention-seeking, cause in university no one will care about your gossip. 
12. Alcohol is more accessible than water. Did you know that U of T St. George campus doesn't sell bottled water? Yet they have bars all across campus. Alcohol is, just like coffee, considered one of the most essential student beverages. Not everyone chooses to drink, but those who do, from my experience, drink lethal amounts of the stuff. Never listen to the "students are broke" myth. They have enough money for booze, but not toilet paper. Those are student priorities.
13. In order to stay sane, you have to believe in yourself. In university, it's easy to get caught up in the pressure to do your best, get a job, get money. It is sometimes hard to realize that life is about much more than just achieving the highest exam score. If you set impossible standards for yourself, ones that are imposed by the university or by peers, you're bound to be miserable. Remember: you can be successful, regardless whether you have a degree or not. Though having a degree is important, it does not define you as a person. Seriously, some of the rudest and most morally disgusting people I have ever met have a 4.0 GPA.
14. Learn to enjoy the moment. You're young. You're smart. You're beautiful. The most important thing in university is to learn to live in the present, because tomorrow is always a mystery. Do your best, but never forget who you are.