The Difference Between a Freshman and a Senior

After four years in college, some things tend to change.

1. Page limits -

• Freshman year: You think the professor is trying to teach you to write more concisely. 

• Senior year: You realize the prof is thinking, "If I have to grade 120 papers, then I better make sure they aren't too long." 

2. Food - 

• Freshman year: You hunt around the cafeteria to find something you want to eat--you may even get in the grill line and cook some stir-fry. 

• Senior year:  If acquiring a particular food requires significant effort or waiting in a line, you just default to cereal or pizza.

3. Physical fitness - 

• Freshman year: "Wow, what a nice gym! I'm definitely going to work out all the time while I'm at school." 

• Senior year: You visited the gym enough times to fulfill your phys. ed. requirement. 

4. Wardrobe -

• Freshman year (female): You try to look cute most days. Outfits often include include coordinated jewelry and accessories.

• Senior year (female): Well, it's on your floor and it doesn't smell. If you throw a scarf on with it, it'll look half decent. 

• Freshman year (male): You put on clothes and went to class. 

• Senior year (male): You put on clothes and went to class. 

5. Friends -  

• Freshman year: Everyone you met was a potential friend. You tried to be best buddies with everyone. 

• Senior year:  You only make friends with classmates in case you need notes from them later in the semester. You have a core group of similarly undermotivated senior friends (and a few cool juniors if they're lucky).

6. Personal Cleanliness and Hygiene 

• Freshman year: You did your laundry regularly. You changed your sheets at least once a semester. You were careful not to touch anything in the shower. 

• Senior year: It's possible that half your laundry is in that pile of unclaimed items in the laundry room. Changing sheets happened after graduation when you were packing up to leave. The strange arrangements of hair on the side of the shower stall no longer scare you. 

7. Roommates

• Freshman year: you were careful to change discreetly, possibly doing it in the bathroom after showering. 

• Senior year: Your roommate has seen your butt several times and you no longer care. 

8. Homework -  

• Freshman year:  
• Worrying about deadlines, writing down all assignments in a planner which you check regularly
• Taking notes on every living, breathing thing your professor says
• Paying attention in class
• Asking questions of intricate minutia regarding the requirements for assignments.

• Senior year: 
• You figure you'll hear about most major assignments before they're actually due. 
• Notes consist of, "Prof said X, Y, & Z will be on the test"
• Only listening in class if a) the class is hard or b) if the professor sounds like he's saying something important.
• Rarely asking questions about assignments--if you write it 12 pt. Times New Roman with 1" margins (and a half-hearted attempt at either MLA or APA formatting), you'll be fine. 

Dedicated to all my many friends from Cedarville. I'm so thankful I got to take the journey from perky freshman to chill senior with such a wonderful group of people. I love and miss you all! 

Bathtubs: The Newer, Better Under-the-Bed

Gone are the days of stuffing your messy belongings under the bed. 

In those harrowing 5 minutes before guests arrive, stashing and storing your various unsightly belongings can cause real panic. When the carpet is hidden from view but you need a quick clean-up, where are today's humans going to stash their stuff? According to a recent study by the Institute for #Adulting, your bathtub is actually an excellent place to throw your mess when you don't have time to clean.