Many 18-year-olds across the country just embarked on the greatest adventure of their lives: college. For the first time, they are without parents, subject to very loose rules and able to make their own future.

Naturally, this comes with some expectations, and many of them are spot-on. Parties are as awesome as you think, home games are a blast, and hook ups are plentiful (if oft regrettable). But a few are a little misinformed. I'm here to pass on my formidable knowledge -- not to cause dismay, but to scale this expectations down to reasonable levels.

Incoming freshman, I don't mean to crush dreams (you'll get plenty of that after you graduate) I just hope to inform you of the true nature of things so you aren't disappointed. 

10. What you think	The truth
There's gonna be so many Guys/Girls! They'll be so much better!	They're all the same as before.

I know you're tired of all the members of the opposite sex at your high school -- we all were. But one can reasonably concede that the same kinds people attend every high school. Well guess what? All those people graduated, went to college and are back together again! A high school degree doesn't make a person a better suitor. Girls will still be disappointed by guys and vice versa. The advantage isn't quality, but quantity. There are simply more people to meet, and therefore, a greater number of people you will be drawn to. So get out there! They right guy or gal is only 15 terrible dates away.

9. What you think	The truth
I can't wait to meet my roommate!	Your roommate is a stranger that you have to sleep next to.

Now it's important to note that this excludes people who choose their roommate. I chose both my roommates my first year and loved every minute of it. They may tell a different story, but I don't care because their happiness is secondary to my own. But many of you will be assigned a roommate. I should say cell mate. Most dorm rooms are less than 13X13, which means when that "best friend" you thought you'd get moves in and ends up smelling like a gerbil, you'll have nowhere to go. Think of it this way: how many strangers your age do you end up liking? So how willing are you to basically live on top of one of these unfamiliar individuals for nine months. I'm not saying it's a certainty you'll hate your roomie, just that you should make some friends down the hall.

8. What you think	The truth
You're going to learn so much in class	You're lucky if classes teach you anything.

For many of you, high school wasn't all that stimulating. You have the dream of reaching the collegiate campus, choosing classes that will strengthen your mind, teach you deeper truths, and forever alter your understanding of the human condition. Well, the truth is, you're lucky if you can remember five classes from your higher learning that impacted you. For much of your first two years, you're taking classes that you need to take to get in to a certain discipline, and your last two years, you're taking classes that prepare you for the workplace in your discipline. My advice is to take as many unrelated courses as possible. That's where the real adventure is. I took Stage Combat one winter and have never regretted it (I can totally take a killer fake punch).

7. What you think	The truth
My professors will be pillars of academic excellence.	They are mostly jerks.

College professors are portrayed as the world's most learned scholars. They wear tweed jackets, smoke pipes, and inspire you to reach further than you ever dreamed, right? Well, no. Mostly they just make you feel stupid, phone in assignments and tests, and dislike coming to class as much as you do. There are exceptions, of course, but the majority of college professors are just smart enough to be annoyed by your lack of experience, but just dumb or lazy enough to have never gone beyond teaching. You're primary education in their class will be learning to kiss ass and avoid rebuke.

6. What you think	The truth
You will learn timeliness, responsibility and diligence	You will learn how to scam the system.

We'd all like to believe that faced with ultimate freedom we're going to do well, but that's not human nature. You won't learn to get up an hour early, make breakfast and read a paper. You'll learn just how late you can sleep in and still make it to class on time. Or you'll learn how many classes you can skip and still pass a test. Mostly, you'll learn what energy drinks work for you- allowing you to stay up late and cram for the test you found out about yesterday.

5. What you think	The truth
I'm going to go work out and stay healthy!	You WILL get fat.

Stop. I can hear you saying, "No, not me. I'm really going to go to the gym." No, you won't. Do you know why? Because there are a million things more fun than going to the gym, and college has all of them all the time. You may be able to go for a few months, maybe even a year. But the temptations of college last for four years, and no one is strong enough to turn them down that long. Relax, you can go to the gym after you graduate- you'll need something to occupy your time.

4. What you think	The truth
I'm going to meet new, exciting people who will broaden my worldview.	No. You won't.

 Like I said before, all the same types of people still exist in college. People don't get better when they get a dorm room. Don't expect everyone to be smarter, funnier and more cultured. Once again, the advantage is numbers. You'll still gravitate toward people like you, but the difference is there will be more of them around. So go out and meet as many people as you can -- the more you meet, the more likely you are to find ones you like.

3. What you think	The truth
No parents, no rules!	Real-world rules, real-world consequences

While it's true you don't have a curfew and no one will care if you don't go to class, the consequences of your actions get leveled up along with your responsibility. You're no longer subject to the rules of your house, but you are subject to the rules of your college, town, and state. If you think you're old enough to go out drinking, then you're old enough to get a DUI, an MIP or academic probation. Sure, you don't have to take out the trash or do the dishes, but you're out on your own now. No one is going to talk to the cops or administrators for you. Make smart decisions.

2. What you think	The truth
You and your bf/gf will totally make it in your long-distance relationship through college.	You will learn a lot about life and relationships. Most of it will suck.

People change -- never more so than in college. You will grow, discover new interests, meet hundreds of new people and change your life in a million ways. The way two people last together is by sharing in the changes of each person's life. You'll be spending 90% of your life with people your boyfriend/girlfriend doesn't know (if you're not then you're missing out on college). This means, unless you diligently communicate with each other, you will drift apart. But don't fret, it's not the end of the world

1. What you think	The truth
You will get a job in your major.	You haven't even heard of your job yet.

I was told when I started college that the job I would end up with most likely didn't exist yet. That has never been more true than now. The world is changing fast, and to think that the job you imagined four years in advance would be the one you took upon graduation would be foolish. You need to stay limber, stay flexible and stay ready for whatever world you inherit when you get your diploma. Learn as much as you can, keep your eyes and your interests open and be willing to take a chance when you leave college.

And for the love of God, don't drink so much.

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