Partying:
Expectation: Before starting college, life there appears to be revolving around nothing but friends, party invitations, late-night parties, staying out for as long as you like without a care in the world. We all imagine ourselves as nothing less than the Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan in the 'student of the year,' do we?
Reality Check: The only parties that you'll go to, will be the after-hours hostel parties wherein you'd sneak in your friend's room and celebrate with hushed voices fearing the wrath of the warden if caught. And as far as the invitations are concerned the only invites that you'll get are from your textbooks and classroom notes to memorize them, that's unless you want to fail or be held back that semester.
Exploring the Town:
Expectation: With the newly found freedom also comes the undeniable urge to explore every corner of town from the far-famed monuments to visiting the best cafes with your friends. Every day seems like it would be a fun day, for who cares about classes, college means I would be a free bird. And even professors in college are not as pestering as the teachers back in high school.
Reality Check: It's true that professors in college are not as pestering as your teachers back in high school. But the sad truth is, unlike in the high school where your teachers ran after you in college, you'd be the one running after them. Like it or not, most of the times it would be about attendance issues for if you don't meet the minimum attendance criteria then you had no chance of sitting for exams. So, sure, you will have your chance at exploring the city but it just won't be an everyday scenario.
Dressing Up:
Expectation: No more uniforms, finally the freedom to wear whatever is it that I like to college. Who doesn't dream of dressing up each day in the best of their outfits and make a new style statement every day? No one to call you out for those long hairs (for boys) or funky nail arts (for girls) is pretty awesome, isn't it?
Reality Check: It might not sound as cool or awesome as when you got to pair on an everyday basis. Putting together clothes and matching accessories will seem like a herculean task when you'd have to do that on daily basis. A month at max and then you'd automatically revert back to plain t-shirts and casual pants.
College Champion:
Expectation: If you're one of the popular children in high school you'll hold the hopes of being the college champion too. And why should not you after all, you have got all the qualities good at academics, great at sports, the school's poster student.
Reality Check: But the reality check in college might come as quite a hard blow for you. You see, in college, there are students from across the country. All of whom are mostly as talented as you and some even more. If you want to become the college champion you might have to put in quite a lot more of hard work as compared to what you did back in school.
Staying Away from the Parents:
Expectation: One of the priorities and the best perks of college life, right? Life away from parents seems like this cool, free, fascinating and most of all interruption free. College seems like finally an opportunity at being the master of your own will, does not it?
Reality Check: The truth is, hostel life might not be as exciting as you initially thought it to be. Boring mess food, irritating roommates, homesickness they'd all make you miss home more than you know. Nothing would bring an even bigger smile to your face than the thought of holidays and an opportunity at spending some time with family.
No Homework:
Expectation: One of the most important perks of going to college would be no more homework. Who wants to spend the rest of the day completing college work after spending so many hours at lectures during the day?
Reality Check: You'll be studying plenty harder and for much longer compared to your days back at school. For there may even be days when you'd be stuck in the library like three in the night preparing an essay that is due at eight AM sharp in the morning.