Did you hear the one about the freshman whose roommate died his first semester? Apparently, the kid was so distraught, his school gave him an automatic 4.0. Is the above statement true or false? What do you think? The aforementioned college myth, made popular by the movie "Dead Man on Campus," is completely bogus.
"That's definitely never happened at any school I've heard of," confirms Dr. Roger Sorochty, vice president for enrollment and student services at the University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK. "Although, under such circumstances, students would certainly be given every academic consideration possible."
Welcome to college. The best four years of your life, where you're guaranteed to meet the man or woman of your dreams, profs are easy to manipulate, and rumors run as rampant as "American Idol" fan clubs on the Internet (sorry -- the previous statements are so not true!)
In the interest of sorting through fact vs. fiction, we asked students nationwide to spill the beans about what college life is really like.
College myth #1: College is so much harder than high school.
Reality: Substitute "different" for "harder" and you might just be on to something. "College is the first time in your life when you don't have your parents breathing down your neck, forcing you to do homework or wake up on time for class," points out Haley Mancini, a sophomore at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. The difficult part for most college students is learning how to handle the newfound freedom and responsibilities that larger class sizes, more free time, and about a million distractions bring.
College myth #2: All freshmen gain 15 pounds.
Reality: "Actually, I lost weight," counters recent University of Nebraska at Kearney grad Nick Nyffeler, whose 6-foot-3-inch frame whittled from 221 to 185 pounds freshman year as a result of a late growth spurt and the stress of trying to juggle a full course load with three jobs. "My schedule in college got about 200 percent busier than in high school," remembers Nick, who also joined a fraternity and played intramural sports. Take that, all-you-can-eat dorm buffets!
College myth #3: Roommate compatibility forms really work.
Reality: Um, yeah. That's why University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB) junior Max Geitner was paired up with a nonstudying, alcoholic party animal after specifically mentioning that he himself only partied occasionally and made schoolwork a priority. 'Nuff said. In short, be prepared to compromise with people with whom you'll be living.
College myth #4: You must choose a major right away.
Reality: Not only is this not true, it might not be smart. Studies reveal that more than 70 percent of college students change majors at least once. Also, each time you switch majors, you risk losing credits due to different graduation requirements. Better idea: get your core courses out of the way first, then pick a major sophomore or junior year, after you've had the chance to pinpoint your passions.
College myth #5: Date rape is common.
Reality: The 1998 amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 declared that any Title IV-eligible school must publish an annual report detailing, among other things, crime statistics. Just looking at the figures, you can see this myth isn't true. In 2006, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (enrollment 27,429) reported zero forcible sex offenses, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (enrollment 28,356), had four. Reduce your vulnerability considerably by doing things like never leaving your drink unattended and never walking on campus alone after dark.
College myth #6: College students are poor and starving.
Reality: "Heck, no -- this isn't true at all," laughs Hank Woodward, a University of Florida senior. "There's definitely a group of people who support themselves, but they're in the vast minority." More common at the Gainesville, FL, school (and at many other colleges around the nation, from what we hear) are BMWs in the parking lot, fully loaded apartment complexes, and $300 bar tabs. Don't be surprised when you see this. And absolutely do not try to finance this lifestyle with credit if you're not among the rich.
College myth #7: Finals week is hell.
Reality: Not! So say the academically savvy students who seem to have mastered one of college's best-kept secrets: study hard now (as in regularly, throughout the semester), and come finals week, life is bound to be grand because -- deep breath here -- your grades will already be set. Some things for the scholastically enlightened to look forward to: extended recreation center hours, complimentary munchies, and more sleep-in time.
College myth #8: You must bring a car to campus.
Reality: Hate to ruin your "Corvette-for-Graduation" campaign, but you really don't need a car. Just ask Christine Conley, a UCB sophomore, who's been sans automobile since freshman year. "It's really not so bad -- you find ways to get around," she says. "Walk, ride the bus, or get rides with friends." Added bonus: you'll save a fortune on insurance, gas, and maintenance.
College myth #9: You must go Greek immediately.
Reality: "People change when they go to college -- six months down the road, you might not fit in with the same people you would've in the beginning," warns Chris Glotzbach, a Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, grad who waited until sophomore year to join her sorority, Kappa Delta. Her advice? Spend some time adjusting to college life and getting to know the house members as friends first. Then, once you've had a chance to think about things, go through open rush, which runs year-round on many campuses, and unlike its fall counterpart, is free.
College myth #10: College isn't the real world.
Reality: Says who? "College students are learning to balance increased freedom with academic responsibility, practicing money and time management, and interacting with diverse people on a daily basis -- all very important life skills," points out Dr. Sorochty. Sure, there are differences between the two worlds (like making grades vs. paychecks and monthlong vs. two-day Christmas breaks), but not enough to classify "real" vs. "fake."
College Myth #11: Online degrees are always fake
Reality: While certain online schools are certainly nothing but degree mills, many modern students are increasingly turning to distance learning as an alternative to provide flexibility, alleviate funding problems, or learn at a faster pace.
There are a lot of institutions offering their degrees online. Students today can earn their fully-accredited degrees from home. Unfortunately, most online programs focus on bachelor’s degrees, so it still can be difficult to find a good master’s program online.
College Myth #12: A degree guarantees your dream job
Reality: Although this may have been more the case thirty years ago (it never was completely true), a college degree is only one factor in landing your dream job. Although a degree definitely is important, many students actually find work outside of their majors, while others still do struggle with unemployment.
Earning your degree will decrease your chance of unemployment while improving your opportunities for a dream job, but a diploma is not a one-way ticket to success. Look for internships that will improve your resume and expand your abilities.
Not All Myths Are False
Here are three facts about college life that shocked real students.
1. You will be going to school with 50-year-olds.
Thanks to skyrocketing nontraditional student enrollment rates, classroom dynamics have never been more diverse. Kinda' cool -- until you start trying to arrange study groups around your classmate's doctor visits.
2. You can get a ticket on your bicycle.
At Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, at least. Across the board, ticket-hungry campus police are affectionately dubbed "Parking Nazis." Watch out!
3. Some colleges send midterm grade reports to your parents.
One of them is the University of Texas at Arlington, as fun-loving, party-happy freshman Mike found out. Moral of the story: stay on top of your academics at all times.