114 days. That’s how long I’ve been a college student. I had so many ideas of what college was going to be like when I was younger. But now that I’m done with my first semester, I’ve realized that living as a college student is like living my everyday life. Marquette and the Milwaukee community have become my second home.

But to get to that declaration, I’ve learned a lot. When to use z-star or t-star.Why the subjunctive form is used in Spanish. What good journalistic writing is not. But some of my greatest lessons occurred outside of the classroom.

1. Those pretty bells that rang at the beginning of the year are still there. They just ain’t so pretty anymore.
2. It’s pronounced “SchrAder”, not “SchrOeder”.
3. It’s also “Cudahay”, not “Cud-hy”.
4. Never wear the lanyard around your neck. Never.
5. Learn to love coffee.
6. Invest in a good box of crayons. It’s a great stress reliever.
7. The basketball games are even more fun than they look on TV. Especially the MU v. WI game the week before finals. No regrets…
8. Naps are not overrated.
9. Despite its advertisement, Sobelman’s does not have “the best burger in Milwaukee.” Solly’s does.
10. Some of your greatest college stories will come from awkward small talk in the elevators.
11. Nothing brings a campus together quite like hot cookie night.
12. Know your bus route before you get on the bus.
13. Very few things bond a female floor together like Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and Pretty Little Liars.
14. Some of the most interesting people you will meet are on a limo ride.
15. Dee makes chicken quesadillas on Thursday nights in Cobeen. Ask for the special sauce. You’ll thank me later.
16. One of the best places to study is the law library. But the table by the fireplace is mine.
17. Apples to Apples is the best game ever invented.
18. No matter how hungry you are, McCormick is not food.
19. If you have a building in Straz, your class will be in David Straz building, not Straz tower.
20. If you live on the fifth floor, you are expected to take the stairs, not the elevator.
21. Saturday morning is the best time to do your laundry.
22. If a man on the bus starts rapping to you, do not give him a beat.
23. Quiet hours are enforced during finals week. They may not be enforced by your R.A., but they will be enforced.
24. Leggings are considered pants in college.
25. Take advantage of everything Marquette offers… Late Night Marquette, basketball games, officer hours, EVERYTHING. You won’t regret it.