College Habits We’re All Guilty Of
Remember what college life was like? Of course you do. It was a time of learning and personal growth, sure, but it was also a time when you were perpetually late to class and only had enough money for instant ramen. And energy drinks. Can't forget the energy drinks that got you through those all-nighters. Anyway, whether you're currently a student or graduated years (read: decades) ago, chances are you'll recognize at least a few of these 20 bad habits.
1. Procrastinating Until the Last Minute
Even when your professors gave you ample time to complete an assignment, you still waited until the last possible minute to get started. It sucked, you barely handed it in before the clock struck midnight, and yet you still convinced yourself that you worked better under pressure. So the loop continued.
2. Pulling All-Nighters Before Exams
Speaking of procrastinating, because you procrastinated, you were always pulling all-nighters. Instead of reviewing material throughout the semester, you attempted to memorize everything in a single night. Obviously, that proved largely unsuccessful, and by the time the exam came around, you were struggling.
3. Skipping Breakfast
When you had class first thing in the morning, you weren't eating breakfast. Food was for the weak. Your "breakfast" was just a large cup of coffee, and then you were out the door, especially since you already hit the snooze button several times. Needless to say, you were always, always hungry.
4. Spending Too Much Money on Coffee
Again, speaking of coffee, you definitely spent way too much on those daily brews. Buying a specialty latte once (pumpkin spice latte, anyone?) might be harmless, but you were spending a good $8 every morning for an entire semester. Sure, you could've stopped... but you didn't. You needed the caffeine.
5. Skipping Classes
You weren't just waking up five minutes before class. Heck, if you woke up late, you were skipping it! To you, missing one lecture didn't seem all that bad, especially when you could just look up the slides online. Except for the fact that, well, it wasn't a one-time thing.
6. Leaving Laundry Dirty
You might be much better with your laundry now, but in college? Phew. You had the ability to ignore your growing pile until you had practically nothing to wear. You probably even resorted to rewearing questionable outfits or digging for anything that still smelled acceptable.
7. Scrolling on Their Phones During Lectures
On the days you didn't skip class, you were on your phone all lecture. You told yourself you were just going to watch one video or reply to one message, but of course, you always ended up doing more scrolling. And then, before you knew it, class was over. And you learned nothing.
8. Living on Instant Noodles and Frozen Meals
Like every other college student, you were living off instant ramen and whatever cheap grub you could get your hands on. Yes, you were working (even with a full course load), and yes, you technically could've bought better meals, but for the sake of your limited budget, microwave dinners it was.
9. Not Buying Textbooks
Remember all those required reading materials you had for every class, every semester? Yeah, if you didn't have enough money to buy better food other than instant noodles, you definitely weren't slapping $100 down for a textbook you wouldn't ever look at again. So, what did you do? Well, you sure had your ways...
10. Saying Yes to Too Many Social Plans
Since college offered countless opportunities to attend parties, join clubs, and just be social, you were always trying to be outgoing—only for it to quickly become exhausting. But hey, at least you made tons of new friends! Even if you never really talked to them after the semester ended...
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11. Sleeping Through Multiple Alarms
You didn't just have one alarm to wake you up at an appropriate time—you had (wait for it) six different ones. Maybe even 10 sometimes, one for every five minutes just in case snooze didn't work. Either way, it didn't necessarily mean you'd wake up on time. You were always telling yourself you could sleep for another five minutes.
12. Cramming Everything Into One Day
As we've said, college students are excellent at procrastinating, and you were no exception. Rather than distributing your responsibilities throughout the week, you crammed all your errands into a single day, all because you kept putting things off. Unsurprisingly, you were always overwhelmed and physically exhausted by the end of it.
13. Leaving Dirty Dishes in the Sink
Ever shared a kitchen with roommates? Then you're probably familiar with the frustration of finding someone else's dirty dishes everywhere. Not that you could always complain, of course—you did the same, too. The excuse was the same every time: you would wash them later.
14. Repeatedly Checking Bank Accounts
Okay, fine, this one technically isn't limited to college students, but you probably did check your bank account far more often when you were a broke young adult. After all, you had to track whether you had enough money to buy lunch, another coffee, or even pay your tuition for the semester. Alas, you were always unsure whether you could afford something.
15. Relying Too Heavily on Energy Drinks
If you weren't chugging coffee, you were going through at least three cans of Monster every day. Which probably came as no surprise, given that you were always procrastinating and pulling all-nighters, and you practically had no choice. Your sleep schedule was always terrible, too, because of this habit.
16. Ignoring Emails From Professors
It wasn't often that your profs emailed you, but when they did? You never knew. You stopped checking your inbox at the beginning of the semester because your classes were managed elsewhere, anyway. Unfortunately, that was probably why you always missed assignment or schedule changes and deadlines...
17. Studying with Too Many Distractions
Remember those study sessions you had with your friends? How many of them did you actually get studying done in? Probably not many, given that your group was always huddled in a busy café or too excited about sharing gossip to look at lecture notes. Studying could wait—you wanted to know all the drama your friends were sharing!
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18. Letting Their Rooms Become Messy
As a busy college student, you didn't just have piles (and piles) of dirty laundry, but your room was always a mess. Between early classes, extracurricular activities, and social commitments, you just never have time! And a little clutter never hurt anyone, right? Right?
19. Comparing Their Progress to Everyone Else's
Since you were constantly struggling, it was difficult not to compare yourself with classmates—especially those who seemed to always get perfect grades and had their entire futures planned out. It didn't help, either, that their lives looked just as perfect on social media. Your college routine, in comparison, always looked bleak.
20. Neglecting Their Physical and Mental Health
With so many academic and social responsibilities competing for your attention, you never had time to yourself. Most of the time you were either sitting in lectures, working, or studying in your dorm, which meant both your physical and mental health were always neglected.
