getting smarter at college??..ha who would’ve thought

Welcome to college, a whole new world of exciting adventures, enlightening experiences, and academic responsibilities up your ass. wooooohooooo Basically, you are going to embark on the chapter of your life that determines your professional destiny. Good luck because one wrong move could have consequences far more severe than you could image. You’re not in high school anymore, after all. 

Now let’s “Johnsonize” this situation. As a college freshman, you are no different from a controlled character from the simulated video games talked about in Everything Bad is Good for You. College is the first level on this “adulthood video game.” The object of the game is to get your degree, start your career, and establish a life according to your personal definition of success. At the college level, you have a “blank-slate” reputation as you enter a completely new setting surrounded by completely new people. Perhaps you were an “unsocial Sally” back in high school, but now you’re ready to break out of your reserved nature. Be the one to spark conversations, go to the big parties, and flash those smiles, and no one will ever suspect your solitary past. It’s all about making the right moves. 

Where does intellect come into play here, you ask. Well, just like a normal video game, you are awarded for good strategy and penalized for your mistakes. The same concept applies to college dynamic. You got carried away with your fresh, outgoing attitude and partied till 3 am the night before your 8 am exam. Bam. The sleep deprivation and slight hangover can account for your first C, but now you know better for next time and will stay in to study.  Oh, and that sarcastic comment you made about your fellow student got back to her, so you can forget about getting the hookup to next weekend’s party at her brother’s place. You’ve now learned a lesson in the effects of gossip, something you may not have been as accustomed to due to your former “unsocial Sally” persona. After a few faltering moves, you redeem yourself through a new understanding of how to work the college system.

What do you know! You just got smarter..at COLLEGE..woah was that supposed to happen?