The Freshman Adventures
College Mythology and the Lessons
You Can Learn From It

By Caitlin J. Noris
Special to The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition

Freshman year of college sometimes sounds vaguely like a mythological odyssey, full of three-headed professors, fire-breathing roommates, and tuition prices that seem to soar close to the sun.

Upperclassmen spin tales of Herculean academic burdens, Olympic-size social hurdles and Dionysian parties at the Theta Xi house. Graduates who make it through the quest complain of being cursed to carry student debt for all eternity. "Beware, future freshmen," they say forbiddingly. "The first year is an obstacle course."

The stories get pretty wild. In truth, college is challenging, but it isn't horrifying. Although college tests your sense of self and your resolve to succeed, those worrisome tales of freshman year are mostly exaggerations (well, the rising tuition part is true).

I should know. In 2002, I began my freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh, hundreds of miles from my hometown of Miami, my family and everything I had grown familiar to. As I occasionally battled it out with teachers, roommates and Old Man Winter, I learned that behind every college myth is a lesson.

MYTH 1: It's entirely up to you whether to attend class and complete your assignments.

Yes, you can choose to skip class if you don't want to go. You don't even have to do your homework. But it's very easy to fall behind in college, and there are serious consequences, like academic probation.

"You're there on your own, and if you don't go to class, it's on you," warns Joe Forliano, who goofed around freshman year at West Virginia University until he realized his grades were suffering. "You have to go to class, and don't party too much. Just try to be responsible."

View college as a huge financial investment and a personal obligation; if your motivation wanes, you could lose the opportunities you've earned so far. College is an amazing journey, but partying and hanging out can only be half of the experience. Textbooks are more than just expensive doorstops.

MYTH 2: You should already have a good idea what your major will be.

It's perfectly acceptable to be undecided when it comes to your major! Dabble in a few courses that sound interesting, and don't worry-nearly everyone switches majors. (I'm on my fourth!)

Another common misconception is that your major will be your career and is therefore your future. While your major does have some bearing on future career options, what you do outside the classroom can be just as important. In fact, diversifying your resume will help you after college in countless ways.

"I had to head toward a career that I would enjoy and also be able to make a living with," says Matt Gruber, a business major at the University of Miami who joined the jazz choir. "Music has always been a passion for me, though not necessarily a job or an obligation. [Jazz choir] has taught me how to get along with different types of people-a skill I'll use in the business world."

MYTH 3: Freshman courses are just meaningless prerequisites, and they're so large that it's easy to disappear into anonymity.

Most of the classes you will be taking freshman year serve to fulfill general-education requirements, but they aren't meaningless. The grades count, and they can affect entry into graduate schools, internship programs or scholarship competitions; moreover, entry-level courses provide core knowledge for more intensive classes you'll be taking later.

Many teachers don't require attendance, so yes, it's easy to slip in and out without being noticed. But you'll do better and learn more if you attend all the classes. It's also important to acquaint yourself with professors in case you need extra support. Teacher's assistants often do the actual grading of papers and tests, so it's helpful to get to know them, too.

MYTH 4: Dorm life is worthy of a horror movie.

This is the biggest, scariest college myth. In truth, most roommates are normal people who are just as apprehensive about sharing their space with someone as you are. Even if you grow closer to people down the hall than with the person you share a room with, the key to a peaceful dorm room is simple: you don't have to be great friends, but at least be a good roommate.

"Qualities such as compromise, communication, and mutual respect ensure you're going to get along with whomever you live with," says Rebecca Afman, who has successfully lived with her high-school buddies for almost three years.

While the prospect of dorm life can be unsettling, many students form their tightest friendships over studying woes and smelly cafeteria food-after all, you're all in the same boat.

MYTH 5: College is about getting a degree.

College is about homework. And tests. And writing lots of essays. While the end goal may be a degree, college is mostly about figuring out who you are. Going to college means having the opportunity to direct your future, make lifelong friends, become independent and figure out how to do laundry on your own.

While four (or five) years of college may seem like a long time, the semesters will quickly slip by, and it's important to be prepared. So for the next year, consider me the Hermes to your Zeus. I'll be your messenger and provide you with more advice from students across the country.

Get ready, future freshmen! Your odyssey begins now.