8 Things: About College

This week I have been thinking about the past - college in particular. I attended and graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida and I loved every minute of it. It was a large university with over 40 thousand students and we affectionately called it USF - University of Sun and Fun. As you will read on, I am sure you will glean the fact that the academic part of college was - well - not to important to me. I did what I had to do and no more. I did however put lots of effort into living a fun life! :) So for this week, 8 things I loved about College.

1.) Friends & Boyfriends - I was surrounded with a great group of girls and guys, with so many people around there is always someone available and ready to hang out. There is never a shortage of people in and around a college that are in the same place in life as you. A smorgasbord of social outlets if you will :)
2.) Staying up late and Sleeping in - This was the perfect schedule for me the night owl! We wouldn't even think about going to bed until past 1 am and rarely got up before 11 am. Many times we wouldn't even start getting ready to go out until 9:30 pm - another world from my life today that is for sure!
3.) Night Classes - I learned early (my first year when I failed my one and only 8 am class) that morning was not going to work for me. (See #2) So I started taking night classes. The great thing for me was they met only once a week 5 pm to 8 pm for the same amount of credits as the day classes that met 3 times a week. Giving me all day and all night after 8:30 for fun! (See #1)
4.) My VW Bug Convertible - this little red car was so cute, dependable and cheap. (It cost nearly nothing to fill it up.) My friends loved to pile in with the top down and head for the beach, a party or a park.
5.) Living in the Sun - moving from Chicago to Florida was a shock to the system - in a good way. I loved calling home and hearing it was snowing when I had on shorts. I loved not owning a coat and being able to run out the door as is. I loved the casual, laid back attitude and dress of everyone that lived there. I loved the blue skies, the heat, the palms, the flowers and yes the sun!
6.) Hobbies - I had time - sure I could have studied more but instead I filled my extra time with hobbies. I learned to cross stitch and loved creating things while we watched TV in the afternoons plus buying every thread color known to man. I also learn to love antiques! Several of my friends and I would just go browse around the shops to see what treasures we could find. It started off because we didn't have much money and it was a cheap way to get some things but quickly became a love of mine.
7.) Bars - Yep, I said it. The drinking age when I moved to Florida had just been raised from 18 to 21 but since I was already 18 when it changed I was grandfathered in and was still allowed to drink. The drinking wasn't the important part for me it was being able to get into the bars and party with my friends. So. Much. Fun. We danced, we laughed, we ate oysters and wings, we flirted, we gossiped, we sang, and sometimes we cried.
8.) Freedom - to decide when to clean, when to sleep, when to study, when to party, when to eat...I did not always make the wisest choices of how to spend my time but even that taught me something about living with the consequences of your decisions. Being 18 - 22 was awesome for me - very few real responsibilities and a whole barrel full of fun!

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