46 Things You Only Miss About College Once You Graduate

For the first two years, I hated college.

I’m not saying I kind of didn’t like it; I despised it. Going home every chance I could was my favorite weekend activity.

Long story short, something about my mindset changed.

So, I’m here to tell you why you should hang in there and make the most out of your college experience.

Looking back over the past four years, I honestly don’t have enough words to describe just how incredible and life-changing college was.

I experienced so many moments that have shaped the person I am today.

If you give college a chance, I can guarantee the same will happen to you.

Here are many other reasons you should enjoy your time in college:

1. Enjoy that stupid dining hall you hate to love. So what if peanut butter and cereal are staples in your diet?

2. Enjoy living in a dorm room and being annoyed when your roommate wakes you up from your afternoon nap.

3. Enjoy having to walk 20 minutes to class in the rain. It’s a great excuse to buy that fabulous new rain jacket you've been eyeing.

4. For that matter, enjoy class. One day, that optional class of yours will turn into a not-so-optional job.

5. Enjoy getting to know your professors. They give great recommendation letters.

6. Enjoy your terrible online class where you don’t watch one lecture all semester and guess for every question on the exam.

7. Enjoy doing something you're afraid to do, even if that means jumping way out of your comfort zone.

8. Enjoy making class friends. They don’t have to be your best friends, but it’s nice having people to work with during group projects.

9. Enjoy gaining the freshman 15. The indoor track was built for a reason.

10. Enjoy your stupid mandatory gym class. Who said self-defense isn’t helpful, anyway?

11. Find a job you love for the time being. Your parents will thank you when you aren’t calling them every other day for gas or grocery money.

12. Enjoy meeting new people within that job and making connections.

13. Enjoy staying up all night with your roommates and doing immature things.

14. Enjoy making a lot of mistakes.

15. Don't give your time to someone who doesn't give that time back. Learn this early, and save yourself a lot of wasted time.

16. Enjoy your sports teams, and go to the games. Everyone will be screaming and yelling together, and it will be pure bliss.

17. Enjoy going out and feeling terrible the next day.

18. Enjoy going to that one club you normally wouldn’t end up at.

19. Enjoy meeting your best friends. Trust me when I say you will never be able to replace the friends you made in college.

20. Enjoy going to that annoying career fair. Can you say "internships?"

21. Enjoy coffee on campus. It is perfectly acceptable to spend your life savings on white chocolate mochas while in college.

22. Talk to that guy or woman you know you shouldn’t start hooking up with. We all know when someone isn’t our ideal type, but you may learn a thing or two about yourself in the process.

23. Enjoy getting called out in class for constantly talking to the person in front of you or for never putting down your phone. You aren't in high school anymore, and your professor really can't take away your phone.

24. Appreciate the good professors. There's nothing better than a teacher who genuinely cares about you.

25. Enjoy visiting that weird campus statue or monument.

26. Enjoy tailgating. There aren’t many times in life when it's acceptable to go drink all day and watch a football game afterward. After college, day-drinking gets a lot harder.

27. Don’t stress out over that one exam grade. I never had one job ask for my GPA after graduation.

28. Enjoy only having to pay $2 to go watch a movie on campus. In the real world, you spend $20 on a movie night.

29. Go to the health center while it's still a part of your tuition, and you don't have to fork over that copay.

30. Enjoy the farmer’s market right near your campus. Vegetables are nice for your body (and so are the cookies right next to the vegetables).

31. Enjoy your roommates. There isn’t anything better.

32. Enjoy living in a sorority house for a year. Having 40 closets is a beautiful thing.

33. For that matter, enjoy not ever being in a sorority. There are so many other things to do while you're in college that are just as fun.

34. Enjoy sucking at an intramural sport, but playing it anyway.

35. Enjoy taking too many pictures, even during your chubby stage. #TBT.

36. Enjoy your favorite bars because one day, they will randomly close on you.

37. Enjoy watching way too many Netflix series. It’s okay to not go out and watch them instead.

38. Enjoy being rejected from a job. There's something better out there for you.

39. Enjoy feeling excited when you do get that job or position you've worked so hard for.

40. Enjoy your internships. Your degree is nothing without the experience from them.

41. Enjoy taking an extra year to graduate.

42. Enjoy tripping on a brick or spilling coffee on your shirt. It’s going to happen. Embrace this.

43. Embrace the fact you will never forget the words to your college fight song.

44. Enjoy spring break because you won’t get one after you graduate.

45. Enjoy living off soup for a whole semester. College is about being poor.

46. Most importantly, enjoy life during these four years. Once it's over, you'll have to deal with those damn student loans, finding a job and learning how to cook something besides pasta.