College Lesson Learned #43

#43- Don’t take junior/senior level courses your first semester as a freshmen.

This is another time when I can say that you should learn from my mistakes.

It all started at freshmen orientation. We were picking classes for the upcoming semester, my first semester at the collegiate level. They had four orientations and I was at the last one before school. My last name is Schroeder and like everything in life they were picking classes alphabetically by last name.

So let’s break it down: I’m a freshman- sophomores-grad students have already picked their classes, I was at the last orientation before school, and I have last pick because of my last name. All my classes were taken.

So not off to a good start. At the time I was a history and education double major. I had a meeting with my advisor and it turns out my advisor wasn’t there. There was another professor in his stead. I met with him and he suggested that I take at least one history class so I don’t fall behind. However, we took a look at the class list and all of my prerequisites were completely filled. He mentioned a good class that was a higher level, but not overly difficult called “The History of South Africa and Namibia.” Sounds interesting, right? So I signed up.

The first day of class I walked in and there were eleven students and only one of those being a freshman other than myself and also one grad student. I looked up to see the professor who recommended the class sitting in the front of the room.

The professor stood up at the start of class and said “Welcome to History 371, The History of South Africa and Namibia.”

That’s when I stopped sleeping at night.

Moral: I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and so if there is a professor that you REALLY like, take a class no matter what it is just to have him or her as your teacher.

College Lesson Learned #42

#42- Papers are a test of bs-ing, but finals are a test of how much you can remember on as little sleep as possible.

In my previous post, I told you how to be physically and mentally prepared on the day of finals. Honestly, nobody will listen and they won’t believe me. They will stay up all night and drink four or five energy drinks to “wake up” before the test. I’ve told you the tips to academic success, minus one… studying.

Everyone knows that finals are a joke. Not because they’re easy, but because of the endurance and preparedness it takes to do well on them, and with that being said, I can confidently say that the preparedness is a conspiracy. It’s common knowledge that whatever the professor tells you to study, or any of the studying tools given to help you aren’t going to help because it won’t be on the test.

It’s true.

I had a professor who had us use this study program and it was EXTREMELY helpful in helping us. However of all the terms we had to know, what certain things are and how they operated and all that jazz. His final was ALL about application yet he failed to mention that to us.

In conclusion, no one will take my previous tips to heart, they will ignore them and all that studying will be for naught.

Moral: Studying is still overrated.

College Lesson Learned #41

#41- Go for a run or work out before a final. Exercise+Breakfast=Academic Success

Finals suck. The time leading up to them is super terrifying. I won’t bore you with the details of the studying period and the lack of sleep, but come the day of finals there are a couple of things that you will want to know:

1.  Do NOT stay up super late. It is better to get between 7-9 hours of sleep and not stay up studying than it is to stay up and not be able to think or function. 

2. Wake up at LEAST two hours earlier before your final. You will want to be as awake as you can be. 

3. Physical activity- I don’t care if you are as athletic as a grape. You will want to get the blood flowing as soon as you wake up. The exercise will not only wake you up but it will also get the blood flowing, wake up and clear your mind. The endorphins will make you happier and your mind and body readier for testing. 

4. Breakfast- Eat a REAL breakfast. I’m not talking pop tarts and an energy drink; I’m talking a breakfast for champions- eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and the works. (I would personally recommend putting salsa on scrambled eggs or an omelet.)

5. This one isn’t necessary, and I can’t verify its accuracy so please let me know, but I’ve heard taking one shot, AND ONLY ONE SHOT of your favorite liquor ten-fifteen minutes prior to your test will calm your nerves and you will more likely go with your gut instinct (which is more often than not correct). Again I can’t verify it because I have never done it, especially because I am not 21 and drinking would be both illegal and irresponsible.

There you go, those are the steps to academic success on the day of a final or a big test. I can guarantee that at least 1-4 will increase your test score even in the slightest.


Moral: Studying is overrated.

College Lesson Learned #40

#40- Apparently whipping out pulled pork and hamburger buns on a Sunday night, in the library, at 12am, isn’t normal.

This is a true story.

When I went back to school after Thanksgiving, my mom sent me with LOTS of food. I honestly am under the impression that she believes that I am starving and not eating at all. Don’t worry I am, I love food too much not to. So my little refrigerator was so stuffed it was barely able to stay closed. So little by little, I ate the food while studying for finals. I usually did this in my room.

However, a few days before finals, I went to study in the library with Terry and my other friend Lindsay, and I took some food with me because I knew I would be there until it closed. Specifically, I took pulled barbeque pork and some buns. When the time was right, and the stomach was grumbling and my brain was saying, “Dude, get some food,” I went downstairs to the microwave and heated up the pulled pork.

The confused looks of students started as soon as the microwave did. Once the scent of pulled pork permeated the air, everyone started judging me. I didn’t think anything of it, I was hungry and therefore I was going to eat. Eat delicious, warm food to be exact. So once I got back upstairs people were staring at me like I had burst out laughing and was disturbing them. However, I was silent. I think my good looks got the best of them; that or the scent was distracting. I don’t know.

I got back to my seat and Lindsay and Terry immediately harassed me. “Who brings pulled pork to the library?” and all that jazz. I offered them some of it and they immediately quit harping on me.

Moral: People like food. People hate studying. Food + studying= less crabby student studying

College Lesson Learned #39

#39- If there was one thing that I learned in Boy Scouts, it would be to always “Be prepared.” Seeing as I am never 100% prepared, maybe I should have gone to more than two troop meetings.

A lot of people of our generation are lazy. I don’t mean that they don’t do anything, I just mean that they won’t do something out of sheer immediate convenience or until they HAVE to do something. Because of this we tend to cause ourselves more problems that could’ve been avoided if we spend one extra minute.

I am guilty as charged.

One night before finals I went to the library to write a paper and study. Our campus is a walking campus and the library is conveniently located on the opposite side of campus from my residence hall. So naturally I gather my belongings and head out. I didn’t check to see if I had everything (remember College Lesson Learned #13- Make a list?) That was my first mistake.

I get to the library and pull out my laptop. I started to set everything up but within two minutes it died. I reached for my charger and it was nowhere to be seen. I realized very quickly that it was still on my desk back in my room. So I took the long walk in the icy, frostbitten wind of winter back to my room and retrieved my charger. I returned back to the library.

I pulled everything up on my laptop. I reached into my bag to grab my homework assignment description. My folder was back in my room. Again I made the voyage to and from the library. Finally settled I started typing. I went to grab my book to put a quote down. Can you guess? In my room.

After another trip after my book (which was about 90 minutes after I arrived the first time), I finally had everything…

But by then I was hungry.

Moral: Sometimes in order to be lazy, you just have to do a little work, like checking to make sure you have everything.

College Lesson Learned #38

#38- Rewarding yourself with a break isn’t procrastination… unless you haven’t started working.

There are many lessons to be learned about procrastination. I personally thrive when writing a paper because of procrastination, and I often do my best work under that pressure. It forces me to do my best work the first time. However when it comes time to studying, that is a different story. Studying is about repetition with the intent of committing a particular knowledge to long-term memory (or at least long enough to finish your test).

Whether I am writing a paper or studying for a test procrastination is something that I seem unable to avoid no matter how hard I try. I’ll pull out my laptop and then conveniently have to use the washroom. 

Afterwards, when the tank is empty I’ll be thirsty, so after just walking into my room, I’ll go down the hall to get a drink. I’ll get back and then open up Microsoft Word only to have Terry or Tom come in and ask me if I want to get some food. Umm… Duh! Three hours later after eating, shooting pool, visiting “the girls,” I finally arrive to my room and take a nap. Don’t judge me, I had done a lot and I earned the nap.

At that point I realize it’s 1:07am and the paper is due at 9:10am… A on the paper.

Moral: Is it bad if I still get an A?

College Lesson Learned #37

#37- Going to Buffalo Wild Wings on a Saturday night is never a bad idea.

In college you find yourself needing to go off campus, having a change of scenery. This feeling usually comes toward the end of the semester when you are sick of seeing of the same buildings, the same people, and especially when you’ve barricaded yourself in your room to study as much as possible. You start to lose your mind.

In order to counter insanity Terry, Roommate and I have the occasional man-date. Women, you have your “girls’ night out” stuff, we can have a manly date without estrogen. You’ve got to understand that this is a necessity in the lives of men. NOTE: Women, this does not change with age. Just let us go on our fishing trips, both parties will be happier if you allow us to go if only for this reason alone.

This particular night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings, but some other good choices include but is not limited to: a manly movie (must have blood and/or explosions), shenanigans (usually breaking things), Hooters, grilling out, etc.

This isn’t a real story like usual, just simply a good idea.

Moral: You don’t always have to have a great story to have a good time. You can’t go wrong with wings.

College Lesson Learned #36

#36- Papers aren’t a test of knowledge or what you’ve learned. It is a test of procrastination skills and bs-ing.

Professors assign papers like it’s their job… well it is. Since the creation of personal computers, professors across the nation have assigned papers more often than necessary due to the convenience and the flexibility of students having the ability to write papers wherever they want. Internet has also sped up the process because you can just attach your paper to a professor and then e-mail it right then and there.

Like I said, professors assign lots of papers all the time. However, there is one paper that one should fear above all else… the term paper! The term paper is the worst paper anyone has ever created.

My first semester of freshmen year I was in a history class called, “History of South Africa and Namibia” and it was a junior/senior level course. There was one other freshman in that class besides myself. I loved this class until it came time for the dreaded term paper- the 12 page term paper.

Like a good college student I spent very little time thinking about it until I absolutely had to. Like a better college student I didn’t come up with a topic until the last minute. And like every college student I waited until the eleventh hour to start my paper.

Two nights before the paper was due I stayed up until 4am working on finding sources and quotes (it was WAY too late to actually do real research). The next night I pulled my first all-nighter. Once I reached the 3:30 marker that’s when the “bs-ing” started. I just threw down baloney on the computer screen about the !Kung Bushmen in South Africa. I edited and finished at 7:30am, and was the first person to get breakfast.

I turned it in and when I got it back my professor had written to me:

“Phil I thought your paper was very well written, although I feel you as though you may have drawn out the last couple pages. You could’ve done with more information and less adjectives.

Moral: Get it done no matter the cost.

College Lesson Learned #35

#35- Breaks are never long enough, because you can’t ever see everyone during the breaks.

In the weeks leading up to leaving for school you will hang out with all the people who ACTUALLY matter to you, not the people who you hang out with just because or that you have to hang out with. In this time you will make many promises to hang out during your breaks or sometime soon, or even go and visit at their school and vice versa.

This is a lie.

It is a string of false promises that you believe at the time (or say just to shut someone up) but honestly it’s not going to happen. If I went and visited all the schools that I promised people that I would, I would maybe have spent one weekend at my own school. It just isn’t feasible.

Then when you get back on a break you talk to whoever is in town and you talk about hanging out but it never does unless they are your REALLY good friend. You promise to see people but it doesn’t happen because you only have so much time.

Moral: Make less friends and be less cool in high school.

College Lesson Learned #34

#34- Remember that Frisbee you received the first week of school that’s been in your closet the whole semester? It all of a sudden comes in handy when you run out of plates.

Remember College Lesson Learned #1, “Free stuff is always good, whether or not it sucks”? All of a sudden that free stuff pays off when you need it most.

One night Terry and I ordered two pizzas and invited two of our lady friends over to partake in the Italian goodness that is pizza. When Terry and I eat pizza, we usually rip apart the box and that is our plate. It’s cheap and efficient. However, those of the feminine species choose not to reduce themselves to such barbaric ways. So I had kept a package of paper plates in my room for those who chose to be classier than my thrifty ways.

That day I didn’t have any plates. I felt badly because they didn’t want to eat unless they had something classier than a ripped up box (typical women right?). So I desperately scrambled around my room searching for something that was “classier” for these ladies.

And that’s when I saw it.

On the top shelf in my closet I found two Papa John’s red Frisbee (how fitting), that I got the first week of school along with a coozi. I reached up, grabbed them and offered them to the ladies.

Moral: A Frisbee is classier than cardboard. Remember that men.

College Lesson Learned #33

#33- Never shake a bottle with liquids in it if the cap isn’t screwed on all the way.

You would think that that’s common sense right? Well it is. We all just have our idiotic moments, and unfortunately for me those moments happen more often than they should.

It all started on a week night when I went to the café with a lady whom I may or may not have had a crush on at the time. She got some coffee and I got one of those chocolate protein shakes (it was one of the few times I worked out while at school). So we sat down and started to talk.

I made fun of her for drinking coffee because I HATE coffee. Ugh, it’s so gross. Anyway she went on to make fun of me for drinking a protein shake because those are disgusting as well. I laughed and opened up my drink. Before taking a sip, I realized I hadn’t shaken it up. So I put on the cap and shook.

And it went EVERYWHERE.

It covered me, my face, the table… and also smothered her nice, new white shirt.

Needless to say we didn’t hang out one-on-one after that.

Moral: Don’t spill anything colorful on a girl’s white shirt. Doesn’t end well for either party.

College Lesson Learned #32

#32- Thanksgiving is a college kid’s excuse to eat a lot of really good food. Honest Abe was thinking of us when he created Thanksgiving.

So if you go to school and live over a few hours away, often times you will not go home until Thanksgiving break. It is one of the most important breaks just because it is the last break you have before final season starts.

But that’s not the only reason why Thanksgiving rocks.

Food. Food is one of the best four letter words in existence. It sounds good, hopefully looks good, and usually tastes good. It keeps people sane… and as you know there is a lot of it at Thanksgiving.

After eating campus food for months and also living off of Easy Mac and Ramen, a home-cooked meal is approximately 73.4% better than it normally would be (and if you know my mom, that is hard to believe because every meal is the greatest).

Thanksgiving is even better- It’s a home-cooked feast in large quantities. And if your family is anything like mine, Thanksgiving usually ends up being a 2-4 day event. We cook way more than is necessary.

Here's next year's Thanksgiving strategy for those of you who don't already do this: eat lots of food and expand and stretch your stomach in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. That way, you can capitalize on the culinary opportunity that is quite literally laid before you so that you can literally handle everything on your plate.

I'm thankful for Abe. He decided to make college students' tummies happy before they die of lack of sleep. Thank you sir.

Moral: Food=good. However, Thanksgiving= happy college students who ate too much and has a tummy ache. Tummy ache= successful Thanksgiving break.

College Lesson Learned #31

#31- In high school you learn to write and to do homework on a bus. In college, you learn to write and do homework anywhere at any given time.

In high school I wasn’t a bad student by any means, I got good grades, never got a detention and all that jazz. However, I did not do homework. I hated homework, homework is stupid and you only get as much as you put into it, and usually not even that much.

When I did do it, it was never at home. I’d finish it at school during class, on my way to class, or on the bus. The bus was a frequent place to do homework. I learned very quickly how to write legibly (as far as my penmanship goes) with the bumping and rocking of the bus.

In college it is very much the same… except with anything. You are taking the bus or the train home, pull out the homework. You are sitting in the cafeteria and your friends aren’t there yet, pull out the homework. The girls are taking forever getting ready for a Friday night out, heck, just pull out your micro biology book and do some reading.

Moral: Homework isn’t fun, no matter what age.

Moral #2: You do in fact learn some useful things in high school.

College Lesson Learned #30

#30- Never put a carbonated drink into one of those refillable, squeezable Gatorade bottles.

There are times in life when we must learn a lesson the hard way. This is one of them. Learn from my mistakes.

I was up late on a Thursday night working on a paper and it was almost four o’clock when I finished and went to bed. I woke up and went to my classes and then started to pack because I was going home for the weekend. I was playing a song I wrote for a concert at my church. So I grabbed my Gatorade bottle (again the refillable, squeezable kind) and went to wait for the bus that would take me to the train station. While I was waiting I realized that my bottle was empty, and I was starting to get a bit drowsy (three hours of sleep does that to you). So I did what a good portion of college students would do.

I went to the café and filled it up with mountain dew.

No big deal right? Wrong. I went outside just as the bus arrived, hopped on, and found a seat. I put the mountain dew between my legs. Then I felt a spray on my face. The bottle just sprayed all over me.

Science lesson: Gatorade bottles spray by pressure. When you squeeze it, the pressure becomes too much and it sprays. However, mountain dew is carbonated. The air is released and the pressure steadily builds until you’re wearing your mountain dew.

This continued for the 15 minute bus ride and the 90 minute train ride, spraying me until I consumed all of it.

Moral: There is always an application of science readily available if you look close enough.

College Lesson Learned #29

#29- Family Movie Nights are nights dedicated to watching movies that guys love, or would never admit they love.

The wonderful thing about college is no matter what, you will find someone who has the same taste in anything, but when it comes to movies, almost EVERYONE has the same tastes (after all, we all grew up with Hercules and Beauty and the Beast). Movies are awesome… fact. I love all genres of movies, with the exception of horror/scary movies, but we’ll talk about that a different time.

At school, my roommate and I love movies and we enjoy sharing that passion. And often times we would have family movie nights. This pretty much consisted of the two of us, two or three guys from down the hall, and “the girls.” We would invite them over and watch whatever movie we chose that week.

Girls, guys know that you love those sappy movies (I mean they are in fact called chick-flicks). Here’s a little secret (and I apologize to those guys who were really pushing to keep this one a secret)- Guys like them too.

Hard to believe I know. The reason why it remains such a big secret is that we live in a society in which watching cute/sad, love movies isn’t manly. So we like them incognito.  It’s strictly taboo, but we keep it on the down low.

So men have adapted. We watch that genre of film ONLY if females are present, and we present it as a hassle. For example, if another Nicolas Sparks movie comes out our girlfriends or some other female party drags us guys to see it with them, then it’s ok. The only other time it is acceptable is if there is a 51%/49% of girls to guys. More than half are female, it’s okay. Thus movie nights… and guys, girls do like to cuddle up 

and watch Dear John or Crazy Stupid Love. They can’t help it.

Moral: Movie nights are a guy’s excuse to watch a movie that both parties want to see (but not without a “hassle”).

College Lesson Learned #28

#28- Always room with someone who loves to bake.

I love baked goods. It goes without saying, but they are so delicious and I’d die without them. Unfortunately at college, a freshly baked cookie or brownie is a rare treat. Most people do not have the time or the patience to sit down and make some homemade treats while pursuing a collegiate education.

And yet sometimes your roommates will surprise you.

One day, my roomie and I were complaining about the lack of creativity of the desserts at the cafeteria, and how they only have a true, delicious homemade dessert once every few weeks. We need more sugar in our lives.

The next day after classes, my roommate was nowhere to be found. He was gone. This was unusual. I went on about my day, went to dinner and went to my room to work on homework. I was working for a few hours and when all hope was lost and I was about to give in and say, “Screw you college!” Ben walks in and yells, “Ow, ow, ow! Clear my desk NOW!!!” and I obey without question. Then he sets down two plates of steaming cookies (chocolate chip and gingersnap for those who are wondering).

“Who and what are these for?” I ask him.

He sits down, looks at me, smiles, and simply says;

“Us.”

Moral: A happy roommate= a happy dorm room

College Lesson Learned #27

#27- Sex questions that guys have for girls can simply be answered by, “It depends on the girl.” The questions that girls have for guys tend to be irrelevant and girls need to lower their expectations.

So I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Phil, you just talked about care packages in your last post, why the heck are you now talking about sex?” Well I have an answer for you and there is a story to go with it. What was meant by “sex questions" are simply anything relating to the relationships between the opposite sex of yours.

So for one of my general education classes I had to go to certain events on or around campus. We went to three a semester and had to write a paper on our event… the usual. So one of the events I chose was “Sex in a Fishbowl.” The name clearly struck chords with many 18 and 19 year olds around campus.

At this event the leaders had us write two questions each and put them into a fishbowl. The questions for girls would be pink and the questions for boys would be blue… original, I know. After everyone submitted the questions, the leaders would then draw a question and either they would answer, it would go up for discussion, or both. 

Well, many of the questions guys asked dealt with relationships or how to go about pursuing someone, or something of that nature. “How can I tell if someone likes me?” or “When is the right time?” were just two of the many questions of a similar nature. Questions like these usually went up for discussion.

When the girls were answering, one girl would say one thing, then another would totally contradict the other, and a third girl’s answer would be another polar opposite. Finally a fourth girl would simply say, “Honestly, every girl is different, it varies. It all depends on the girl.” Thanks for the help. NOT.

The girls' questions were, in my opinion, stupid. They would ask questions like, “Why are guys douchebags?” (because girls LIKE douchebags and don’t figure out that the “good guys” are in the friend zone until they are about 26-32 years of age). One of my favorite questions that a girl asked was “When you ask a guy what they’re thinking and they say nothing, what are they really thinking about?”

Ladies, I was/am so proud of all the guys in that room because no matter how different a guy is from another, the answer to that question and many other questions of that nature is unchanging. All guys are capable of not thinking anything. We are capable of shutting down the thought process. It is how we keep our sanity.

As far as the relationship questions go, I have learned that girls think that guys think much more than we actually do. Girls are super complicated and make no sense. They are almost always irrational. Guys on the other hand are super simple and girls tend to overcomplicate us. Lower your expectations and confront us because we don’t catch onto your “signs.” We need you to tell us everything straight up.

Moral: Guys are stupid and need help. Girls to understand guys, be stupid.

College Lesson Learned #26

#26- Care packages are easily the greatest thing that has ever happen to students away from home.

So we live in a society in which people can get in touch with others, even across the world in just a matter of seconds. It takes all of ten seconds to post on a friend’s wall, “Hey bro, how’s Namibia?” Unfortunately, because of the convenience of communication, snail mail has almost disappeared unless it is a bill or an invitation. No more letters.

With that being said we also love delicious unhealthy food (if you haven’t figured out yet, I REALLY like food and can bring food into any conversation).

So why not combine the two? Good idea! Snail mail + delicious unhealthy food= Greatest care package!

At my school, when a package has arrived for you, the lovely ladies in the mail room will send you an e-mail. When you’re not expecting one of those e-mails, it is so exciting! The anticipation can barely be contained! Okay then you go and pick it up and it’s always in a box you wouldn’t expect. A teeny, square brown box, or an Addidas shoe box. Something like that. And ALL of them are wrapped in more tape than you would’ve ever expected or needed.

One important thing to remember: try not to pick up your box when you are going somewhere. For example do not pick it up before going to class, rehearsal, or dinner. That way your care package remains a secret. You don’t want too many people to know about your awesome package full of deliciousness. People get extremely jealous.

When you finally arrive at a place where it is quiet and not too many people are within reach, you start to open it… well try to open it. You realize very quickly that writing a huge paper on a pointless topic is much easier than attempting to slice through the force field of tape protecting the box and its precious cargo. Then you hate your package. The anticipation is killing you, but you finally open it and as expected there is food and candy and sometimes even a letter. Yes! But then there is something in there that you weren’t expecting. Around Halloween my “aunt” sent me a care package that was full of candy, but then I found some things that I wasn’t expecting- a devil mask and bubbles. That is the key with care packages, you have to have a sense of humor when sending them, because college kids LOVE bubbles. Seriously, it is SICKENING.

Moral: Send care packages often enough to show that you care, but not often enough that they aren’t 

special. And put something special in there, like a lava lamp.

Moral #2: ALWAYS put fruit snacks in a care package. We college students love fruit snacks.

College Lesson Learned #25

#25- Elevators were invented for one thing, and one thing only: for bringing laundry down five stories. Stairs were not.

Here’s a little fun fact about me: I do NOT like waiting on elevators. I HATE THEM. It is the lazy man’s way of wasting more unnecessary time, unless you live really high up, or your office has a nice view. Elevators really don’t save you much time if you live five floors up or lower.

So living on the fourth floor on my residence hall, I took the stairs. My friends HATED that I always took the stairs because a lot of them lived on the second floor of a different building, so they were too lazy to climb THAT many stairs when there was a perfectly good elevator. They don’t understand me.

I have somewhat amended my ways. Not completely transformed, but I have merely adjusted my ways after the first time I did laundry. I of course waited until all I had was a pair of socks, a t-shirt, and a pair of jeans (it was September at this time). That is how freshmen in college do it. So I have a massive load of laundry and I didn’t feel like waiting for the elevator. So I took it down the stairs, all four flights of stairs, and then into the basement, adding another staircase to my dreaded descent.

Now you think that’s not bad right? Wrong! I had forgotten my detergent upstairs, so I had to run all the way back up to get it and then run it back down. Then I put the loads of laundry in and went back upstairs to do some homework. I came back down, and the machines in our hall don’t like to do their job. So I had to put them all in again. I went back upstairs. I came downstairs and put them in the dryer and it once again didn’t do it right the first time.

By the time that I had finished and brought my laundry upstairs I had made the five story trip up the stairs 12 times in one evening. I take the elevator now.

Moral: Elevators are a necessary evil.

College Lesson Learned #24

#24- Always wear shoes. Just trust me.

I grew up having a wonderful childhood. I played outside, we didn’t have any of this “video game” crap. That is why to this day I still don’t care for video games, I would much rather toss a Frisbee around outside. My mom, aka the second most wonderful person on the planet (second only to Nana who I think is the second perfect person ever to walk this earth), wouldn’t let us play outside without footwear. We didn’t listen all the time and it wasn’t usually a big deal. However, if we were playing a sport like soccer or especially basketball, tennis shoes were mandated. No exceptions.

Because of my origins I always wear shoes when I’m playing basketball. Some people do not, and that why when my friend Terry busted open his foot because he played basketball bare foot, I laughed at him. He did this within the first two or three days at school.

I learned very quickly while at school that playing basketball isn’t the only time you should have on some sort of footwear. The showers are quite possibly the most important place that a student should wear foot protection. The first time I took a shower at school I did not wear sandals or flip flops in the shower. Bad mistake on my part. There was… stuff on, in, and around the shower area. Community showers are disgusting.

Just trust me.

Moral: Always wear some sort of footwear. You might as well sleep in shoes too just to be safe. You never know what's in those dorm mattresses.