Photo: Marta Kierkus
1-No one cares
If you decide to slack off and not attend class, your professors and fellow classmates won’t care. What your peers will care about is the terrible habit you’ll make of constantly asking for notes for the classes you missed.
2-The Freshman 15
Now that your parents aren’t around to pack you a balanced lunch with all five food groups, this horrible curse will sneak up on you like a horror movie villain. Constantly eating cafeteria food, binge drinking, ordering pizza, and mindlessly stuffing your face with shawarma at 3 Brothers will lead you to quickly pack on the pounds. This is easily avoidable; eating well and exercising are the simplest methods to keep your weight down and your mind alert.
3-Friends
Whether you’re moving away or attending locally, university will challenge all of the friendships you made in high school. Keeping in-touch with friends becomes hard when hectic school schedules, new friends, and gnarly hangovers get in the way. On the plus side, you’ll figure out who your real friends are during this transition period.
4-Money
There is no quicker way to break the bank then by constantly eating out, partying, and shopping at the Rideau Centre. If you’re not careful, you’ll watch your bank account drop to zero faster than your grade point average. Financial independence is a real bitch, so spend every nickel wisely my friends.
5-Sex
With a population of over 42,000 students, campus becomes an unbridled mating ground this time of year. Not only do people discuss sex more openly and maturely (flip to Dear Di if you don’t believe us), but they’re also way less judgemental about it. Unlike high school, where sex was the “topic du jour” for everyone, now it’s only a big deal to an immature few. So many casual attitudes on sex might feel newly liberating, but always be sure to keep your experiences safe and consensual!
6-Partying
This can go either way. Some people come into university and experience parties that truly change their lives. Others find it juvenile and ridiculous. Finding a balance between studying and drinking can become tricky when every night of the week seems like it’s a Friday. Try your best not to classify sleep as an optional activity to ensure you’ll be ready to take on class the next morning.
7-Testing
Unlike high school, university testing comes and goes with the seasons. Instead of being tested at the end of every chapter, university testing typically occurs two to four times a semester (depending on your field of study). This can get super stressful when a handful of exams that are worth 20–50 per cent of your final grade fall on the same week. Make sure you plan accordingly and get lots of studying done.
8-Politics
You’re an adult now, and your vote counts. Both university politics and governmental politics greatly impact you, your future, and your bank account. It’s important to educate yourself about the issues and the topics that matter to you, and what better place to do it than in the nation’s capital? It’s easy to learn when you’ll find that most political science students on campus would love to talk politics—listen and learn. As part of the student body, you can’t complain about the local student government if you don’t vote.
