The Top Five Things You Learn Your First Week At College

The Admin Building shows striking similarities to a castle. (courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

I've been here at NWMSU for a week now. Granted, I haven't actually taken any classes yet because I came down here early for band camp, but I've still definitely learned some things about college life (and in my case, college marching band) that weren't things I would have even thought of. Here's some discoveries I have made:
1.Profanity is widely spoken and, as a whole, is not disciplined. Maybe my naïve self was just being naïve, but I was pretty shocked as how many people will just drop a d*** or a f*** into whatever activity or difficulty they might be undertaking. And it's not just the students, folks. Both professors (who are both very nice, by the way) that I have come in contact with have cussed at some point, mostly to make a point. The only exception to this would be our very nice band director Dr. Strickland, who explicitly (haha, no pun intended) stated that profanity was not allowed. Of course, some of the members of my drumline do not pay any mind to this rule.
Let's be clear: I'm don't live under a rock. People cuss, and they have every right to. I personally do not, so hearing all of it was a bit odd at first, and really still is. I don't judge you about your cursing unless you find it necessary to insert an f-bomb in to every sentence you speak. Then I think that you lack tact, creativity, and self-control.
2. I can understand how the Freshman 15 is achievable. There's good food at the Union, there are yummy snacks at most activities, and people are always hosting mixers and BBQs etc. Delicious food is everywhere.
3. I don't understand how I could gain 15 hypothetical pounds. Sure, it's not all about eating lots of food. There's also a second, mini growth spurt going on, but check out #4 and you'll understand what I mean.
4. College Marching Band is awesome, tough, fun, crazy, tiring, strenuous, and rewarding, all rolled into one big bundle that, by the end of our long days of practicing has put me close to tears a couple times. Let me just be real with you: I have been here since Sunday at 1p.m. By the end of Sunday the 25th, a little more than a week later I will have spent 50 hours practicing marching band/drumline. That is 50 out of 171 hours that I have been here. When you figure that I spend 8 hours sleeping each night, you're down to 115 total waking hours this week. Basically 44% of my week has been devoted to band. (26% of that time was spent outside between the hours of 2 and 6 p.m., marching and carrying our instruments in the hot hot sun.)
Now this is all not a pity party. Yes it's hard. Yes, I get back to my dorm soaked (and that is not an exaggeration) with sweat. Yes, I have to lug around a bass drum. Yes, it's hard. Yes it's hot. But you know what, it's also super rewarding, and in two key ways: First, the end result is sweet! We get to play cool songs (which this year include Moves Like Jagger, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, We Are Young, and lots of other fun filler songs too) and we get to put on a slick, awesome looking performance at the football games. Second, it's a great workout, and a hard one. Bass drummers get core work, arm work, and a lot of leg work because all of our movements are done on tiptoe. As I said before, our marching practices have been between 2 and four hours daily. Feel the burn! When school starts on Monday, we will have marching practices M-F, Saturdays that we perform, and then our performances at the games! I get in a good workout all throughout the week!
In short, marching band is HARD work, but it is very rewarding.
5. My roomie and I get along great! Great in a totally God sort of way. We hit it off great, and the first night she was here, we went to Wal Mart together and then to Sonic for half price shakes! At Wal Mart one of the things we got was a landscaping brick that we are using as a doorstop!

We also have a Beta fish named Herman. Our door stop will be decorated, and its name is Frans, (suggested by my dad) which corresponds to our RA's doorstop that is painted like a turtle and is named Hans. We enjoy many of the same things, like organizing, Disney, the TV show Bones, and other things we are discovering day to day. We both go to church; her to a Catholic one and me to one that is yet undecided. Overall, I am super happy that Miranda is my room mate, and I think we'll have a great year! (We even have a Stats class together!)

So there you have it: 5 things I've learned. This list was originally going to be 10 things, but it's late. Maybe I'll make a sequel later.