Expectation vs Reality: UF Edition

anniefrost4
Jun 25
4 min read

What 18-year-old me thought & what 21-year-old me knows

By: Annie Frost

Beginning my undergrad at University of Florida in Fall 2023, I was bright-eyed and had so many ideas of what college would be like. Yet as I wrap up my junior year, some of those expectations were squashed and some were surpassed.

Here’s a breakdown of a few college expectations, and what the reality is:

Expectation: I am one of the smartest people I know/I am so involved.

Reality: Someone will always be smarter than you and doing more.

Now, this may be a harsh one to start with, but boy did it hit me right in the face. I figured having multiple extracurriculars, a 30 ACT score and a 4.6 weighted GPA on my resume would have me sitting pretty coming into my freshman year.

Wrong. I quickly realized that UF students were top of their class — juggling 15 positions in high school — and were now in seven different clubs by spring of freshman year.

This is the reality of going to a top public school, and honestly, the earlier you realize this, the better off you are. I definitely struggled with imposter syndrome briefly, but it always helped to remember that we all opened the same acceptance letter. Also, if you ever see some of these people on a night out, you’ll forget that they’re actually good at school!

Expectation: I’ll probably only go out on the weekends.

Reality: You will be at the bar at 8 p.m. on a random Wednesday.

I hadn’t really gone out in high school (with the exception of house parties), so to me partying was a weekend activity. Friday night, the week is done, and it’s finally time to let loose. Right? No. That was one thing I was utterly wrong about. I soon found out the best time to hit the town was actually on Wednesdays.

18-year-old me thought, “Wednesday? Really?”

In fact, the Wednesday ritual still continues. I end up in Midtown on the occasional Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, but those are usually special events.

The town buzzes on a Wednesday, and everyone suits up in their best pair of jeans and a cute top! I frequent Cantina Añejo and talk to the same people — yet no nights are the same. That is the beauty of a night out at UF.

Expectation: Football game days are so fun.

Reality: Football game days are some of my favorite days of all time.

I visited UF on an October game day with my friend, Danielle, during our senior year of high school. Her sisters, Emily and Natalie, were both UF students, so they took us to both the tailgate and game. It was truly one of the best Saturdays ever, and after that day I prayed to be a Gator.

Now, those game days I cherish more than anything. Whether I’m sweating at a 3:30 p.m. game in August, or wearing jeans during a cold front in November, the joy I feel is palpable.

Sitting in the stadium gives me chills to this day, and it’s a reminder that I am actively living one of my dreams. “I Won’t Back Down” will always have a place in my heart (even if we are down by 20).

Expectation: Everyone is watching my every move.

Reality: People care more about themselves than anything you do.

I’m one that takes peoples’ perception of me very seriously. Coming into college, I was worried that if I did the wrong thing or embarrassed myself people would talk all about it.

The ever lingering hang-xiety after a night out was a product of this, as I wondered who was talking about what a mess I was. Even if I remembered every step I took, the fear of being that annoying freshman was always there.

In reality, no one actually cares. At all.

Realizing that you are a minuscule blip on most people’s radar is such a freeing feeling. Everyone around you is focused on school, projects, issues, clubs, etc. They aren’t really taking time to pick apart the weird thing you did last Wednesday.

Learn to do what makes you fulfilled and happy, because that’s what those around you are doing too.

Expectation: This will be so much harder than high school.

Reality: It’s simply not.

I consulted my wonderful roommates on what they thought on this topic. They came to the consensus that their freshman year selves thought college was going to be harder than high school. School has always been a pyramid: it progressively gets harder, and now you’ve basically reached the top. It’s got to be the most difficult thing, obviously.

Not really. You might’ve peaked in high school.

College gives you the ability to take classes about what you actually want to learn. You don’t have to sit through statistics when you are more catered to writing. Trust, that was my experience. I've made it clear that I have a more writing-based brain than anything, and in college I take classes that make sense. And that makes all the difference when learning.

Final Thoughts

I’m sure we all came into college with our own idea of how our four years were going to unfold. The experiences you’d have, the people you’d meet, the things you’d learn and the people you would meet.

To me, nothing was what I thought it was going to be. It’s been better. So, so much better.

If I have to leave you with anything, it’s to cherish the time you have here. People aren’t kidding when they say four years flies by. Take every single moment in, and remember to be grateful for every experience that comes your way. It truly is great to be a Florida Gator.

Annie Frost is a junior Journalism major in her second semester at Rowdy! She’s dreading the fact that August marks the start of her senior year LOL.