The 7 People You Will Meet In College

On the first day of college, a sense of excitement and unsureness slips in. College is new. New experiences in a new place with new people. No more familiar high school friends to demonstrate #squadgoals. You’ll try to convince yourself that maybe you don’t need that, but deep down, you need a scheduled recess, lunch, and class period with familiar faces. To put some ease on the matter, here’s a simple guideline on, not so much what, but who you can expect to encounter for the next four years. These are the seven people you will meet in college.

Your Crush

Students take their seats while briefly examining the blank, lifeless walls. With a mixture of curious, hopeful, and judgmental eyes, you scan the classroom anticipating to see a familiar face, then suddenly someone catches your eye. That’s Your Crush. Maybe he’s the college all-star player whose name appears in every game highlight or maybe she’s the student body president with the adorable laugh that brightens the room. Occasionally small talk and a passing glance will be exchanged, but overall, you never really get to know this person. Your Crush was a source of a light that made the class a little more bearable, and perhaps just better left to the imagination.

The Really Good Professor

There comes a time where the presence of The Really Good Professor appears out of nowhere, although not at the teaching wizardry and dazzling you with magical school buses level. But cut the professors some slack, I mean given that there’s only so much fun one can experience when discussing the periodic table, Pythagorean theorem, or the wildly exciting collection of William Shakespeare. The Really Good Professor connects with the students, makes learning a little less dreadful, and most importantly teaches with a passion. Maybe this professor won’t be the next Professor Dumbledore or Ms. Frizzle, but he or she will definitely make the search list for classes next semester. Students genuinely like this class and actually like learning, and that’s pretty magical on its own.

The Arguer

The Arguer always has something to say or add and often has peers who experience two polar opposite emotions about him or her. The first emotion occurs during the enjoyment of watching The Arguer bicker on and on with the professor for 10 minutes while students sit back and watch their conversation slowly evolve into a Trump versus Clinton debate. The second emotion occurs when you, as an individual, find yourself nonchalantly looking away to avoid confrontation and conversation with The Arguer. Inevitable conversations with The Arguer will mostly include responses with “Mmm…” and “Ok…” and “Oh…,” but what you really want to say is, “Sorry, but I didn’t sign up for the debate team this year.”

The Moocher

This is pretty self-explanatory, but in case there’s unfamiliar knowledge on how to spot The Moocher, here’s a few quick descriptions. The Moocher is the person who never wastes time taking notes because borrowing notes is more efficient, constantly skips class and requests a full briefing on what was missed, shows up late (or not at all) to group project meetings, tends to gain a sudden interest in your homework moments before it’s due, and glances at you during exams while mouthing the words “What’s the answer to number one?” Occasionally you’ll find yourself mooching off your peers during a struggling time, but always remember and be aware of the difference between being a moocher and being The Moocher.

The Party Animal

After enduring long hours and long days of homework, projects, and tests, all you want to do this weekend is recharge and relax, that is until you meet The Party Animal. All those movies about college students, fraternities, and wild parties have finally become a glimpse of reality. Whether The Party Animal throws a house party, a dorm party, or invites everyone a night out in the town, alcohol will more or less be involved, so just be warned, there’s school on Monday.

The Best Friend

College would be close to impossible without The Best Friend, the person you spend late night study sessions with or taking turns for coffee runs, and the person you complain to about unfair grading curves, bad game days or basic life drama. The Best Friend tends to be within the same major, club or sport. The great aspect about college best friends is that it’s, for the most part, an adult friendship. Homework gets done, midterms and final exams get studied for, and career searches are Googled. Yes, occasionally, impulsive and crazy college decisions will be made with The Best Friend, but I did say it’s an adult friendship, for the most part.

You

In college, and more so after college, you will look back on the people you met, the places you went, and what you did and didn’t do. It’s the realization that college was more than just a place for notebooks and midterms. This is the final person you will meet in college: You. This is not the You you were in high school or the You you were on the first day of college. This is the You that made it through high school and went through the process of choosing, applying, and getting accepted into college. The You that endured years of college in order to better your life and career in the future. The You that appreciated Your Crush during the days that seemed to drag longer than usual. The You that learned and explored your mind because of The Really Good Professor. The You that dealt with endless days and conversations with The Arguer and The Moocher, and spent endless nights and harsh mornings with The Party Animal. The You that was kept sane because The Best Friend had your back.

As you grow and discover new aspects of life, you meet a new You all over again. You become a more You.