Whether you have taken care of yourself throughout high school or are doing so for the first time ever in college shouldn’t matter.
Coming to college can be a huge culture shock. Some people have always had their parents cook and clean for them, and some haven’t. Personally, I had never really cooked before I came to college because my mom always wanted to do it instead.
My freshman year, I lived in Forest Quad. I remember the fire alarms went off, forcing us to evacuate at least two times a week. I was shocked by how many people did not know how long to cook popcorn or mac and cheese needs water to be microwaved.
Eventually, we stopped standing outside in the cold and started walking to the Forest dining hall to get coffee or snacks following the fire alarm because that part of the building did not have to be evacuated. I even remember a few people telling me they just didn’t leave the building when the alarms went off because they were in the shower or needed to finish getting ready for class.
Personally, I don’t care either way as long as people don't shame others for trying to learn. Everyone grew up in a different situation. If you grew up in an environment like me, where your mom just wanted to do everything herself because it would be “faster,” then you probably don’t have much adulting experience.
Some other Forest residents during my freshman year FaceTimed their moms in the laundry room because they didn’t know how to do laundry. But there were also kids who had always known how to do it because they were taught from an early age. There is nothing wrong with either.
Junior Taylor Horton said there were a few times her freshman year that she offered to help other students with their laundry.
“There were a lot of people just standing there like they didn’t even know where to start,” Horton said. “They looked like they had never seen a washing machine before.”
The school year is over in a couple months, which means a whole new group of people will be moving off campus and living on their own soon. They will have to figure out how to pay for rent and utilities, go grocery shopping and maybe even live alone for the first time.
Paying for rent and utilities is something new to us when we get to college. I was so nervous the first time I had to pay rent because I didn’t want to mess it up and have to pay a fee. Asking your parents or upperclassmen friends for help on this one might be the smartest thing until you get the hang of it.
Going grocery shopping on my own for the first time was a huge culture shock for me. My mom always did the grocery shopping for us, and I never really had a say in what we bought except when she asked me what I wanted for dinner that week. Being able to buy whatever food I want whenever I want was exciting and a little scary.
If you see someone trying to figure out how to do something and they look like they’re struggling, ask if they want any help. I am sure they would appreciate it rather than mess something up. Students might not be able to master some of these things in the first year of college since they’re living in the dorms, so we must learn to be patient with friends and roommates in the upcoming years. They might still be trying to figure some things out.
If you are one of those people that needs help, remember Google is your friend. I am a junior in college, and I still look up how to cook things every once in a while. There is no shame as long as you’re trying your best.
Olivia Franklin (she/her) is a junior studying journalism with a minor in political science. She is a member of the swim club at IU and the Women in Media organization.
