In which Monica enters college.

So. College.

Yeah.

Um...

I have literally no idea what I'm doing.

You?

YES, ME. Being a freshman is hard. I have no idea what to expect. Things are awkward half the time because practically everyone is a stranger. It's this bizarre mix of exciting, terrible, stressful, and fun, all at the same time. Fortunately for me, I have Ally from Charlie and Me as a roommate, which means that we don't fight over house rules or boys or muffins.

We also back each other up during awkward or difficult moments.

Furthermore, it means we watched The Importance of Being Earnest. So let me tell you earnestly a thing or two about my first week of college. May you learn from my experience, dear reader.

1. Getting a cold without Mom's TLC is miserable, so come prepared.

*achoo*

I got a sore throat on the second or third day being away from home. It was miserable, and I was panicking, because I've had some pretty nasty cases of strep throat in the past and I know for a fact it's not fun. Fortunately, I came to school fully stocked with Vitamic C drops, honey, Advil, and all the other things a sicky Vicky might need. I don't know what I would have done without them.

2. Keep your expectations realistic.

You're not going to walk on campus and be the coolest thing anybody has ever seen. You're also probably not going to meet your future spouse on the first day (emphasis on the "probably"). So if you're hoping for this:

Expect to be momentarily impressed before getting distracted by one of the other zillion things going on.

And if you thought you had just signed up for four years of fun and games, well... Keep in mind, you're going to be studying a lot of German grammar.

You'll look perfectly plain in the process, but you ARE supposed to be getting an education.

3. Always make time for writing, even it requires a make-believe excuse.

Writing is therapy. I can say this with every fiber of my being after orientation week. Whether I was typing up a blog post, jotting down thoughts in my random journal, working on a fairytale, utilizing my prayer journal, or throwing together a passage for a potential novel, I felt so much more relaxed during and after writing. It keeps your head screwed on straight and lets you take out all of your stress on the page. Do whatever it takes to make writing a daily exercise.

Any other college newbies who are putting their pens to paper?