American universities are popular settings for movies and TV shows. This makes sense, since the lack of adult supervision allows many students to make the most of their freedom. However, with all of the pop culture ideologies surrounding college, some pretty inaccurate stereotypes have been created. Here are some of the biggest misconceptions about being on a college campus, as well as one fact the movies get right.

Myth: Your freshman year roommate will be your best friend for your entire four years on campus. While you may be lucky enough to get randomly paired with your future best friend, odds are it won’t be perfect. More often than not, you will get along well with your roommate, and you may go do things together the first couple of weeks when you don’t know anyone else. After the first month or two though, you will find friends who have the same interests as you, and you’ll primarily hang out with them. Your roommate absolutely does not have to be your best friend, so don’t worry too much about forcing a friendship.

Myth: College is all about the parties. You will probably go to some great parties while you are at college, but make no mistake; you are paying a lot of money to come to college for an education. While we do have a big drinking and party culture on campus, most students figure out how to balance the fun with their academics. It is perfectly OK to say no when someone invites you to a party if you have some studying you need to get done.

Myth: The college student’s diet exclusively consists of ramen and pizza. Ramen noodles and pizza are great options when the dining halls are closed and you just need something to fuel your study session, but if you are eating ramen exclusively, you are going to have some health issues. The dining halls actually have a pretty good selection of healthy options, and you can always get a mini-fridge in your dorm to have some fruit available to snack on. Keeping a balanced diet can go a long way to help you stay healthy.

Myth: You will have to pull all-nighters every week to get all your work done. While many college students will have pulled an all-nighter at some point during college, you should not be doing it all the time. You will find a lot more success with your work if you plan your studying out ahead of time so you are not cramming at the last second. Not only will you have a healthier sleep schedule, but you will also retain more knowledge, so you won’t have to pull another all-nighter before the final at the end of the semester.

Myth: You will have lots of free time to do whatever you’d like. While you do not spend as much time physically in class as you may have in high school, you will be required to do a lot more work outside of class. Additionally, many students find their time filled with clubs, projects and work. Time management will be incredibly important, so don’t get lost in the time you have between classes.

Fact: Campus goes crazy for Halloween. One thing the movies have depicted pretty accurately is the iconic Halloween party. While it may look different on campus this year due to social distancing restrictions, many students will still show off their incredible costumes, decorate their dorms and apartments with pumpkins and sip on their favorite autumnal coffee to celebrate.

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