Nothing's black and white...or even black and gold.

So. I've been through my first semester at college. If you listen to what the media tells you (generally a mistake) you probably picture me as a more or less lazy guy that puts more emphasis on enjoying himself than anything else, and treats his academics like an annoying afterthought, to be taken care of after more important things, like gaming and hanging out with friends, have been taken care of. You more than likely envision piles of unwashed laundry in my room, and never-been-opened textbooks on the shelf gathering dust. If you knew me a bit better, you might anticipate the massive stack of fantasy novels next to those textbooks that have been read and re-read. You, dear reader, fresh from high school graduation and chomping at the cliched bit to spread your wings and fly free of your parents' houses and get out on your own, are likely drooling in anticipation of this slacker's lifestyle. 

The script says that this is the point where I tell you that this is all wrong and that I am actually a hard working, dutiful collegiate learner, and that you will be in for a big shock if you come here looking to spend more than a fraction of your time enjoying yourself.

I hate scripts, and I hate lying even more. Almost as much as I hated doing my parents' dishes, in fact.

To be clear, the things you will hear at Summer Welcome (you are planning on going to Summer Welcome, aren't you?) are completely true. Time management is a must if you don't want to waste all the money you spent on your first and only semester, it is perfectly simple to have fun without drinking, and not doing your homework is the single best way to flunk out. 

That said, there are many other things that are also true. The adjustment from living at home to living in a dorm isn't that much of a shock, unless you had a maid at home, or don't know how to do laundry. Horror stories about roommates driving each other crazy are simply that: horror stories. There's a very good chance your coursework first semester will be of equal or lesser difficulty than the courses you took in high school. That includes tests. It's not hard to get around campus without a car, and there are few places to park it if you do bring one. You will be able to spend quite a lot of time having fun without causing your grades to crash, as long as you know when the appropriate time to have fun is. Two o'clock Monday morning is not the appropriate time to have fun when you have a test at eight.

In short, with simple application of common sense and work ethic, your first semester will not be hard to get through. The thorn among the lilies, however, is that this easy ride won't last. Come second semester, and the other three years of your career, some serious work will be required. This first semester is easy because it's designed to be a transition period from high school to collegiate life. So master the needed skills of time management and so on in your first semester, because you'll need them later. At least, that's my theory. If I'm wrong, I really don't know why everyone says college is so hard.

One last thing, for those of you who like your advice in pill form: Believe the university staff that say they want to help you. They do, and the things they tell you will. I mean, if I had all the answers for you, I wouldn't be an undergrad. I'd be a professional essay writer.