Sorry, Not Sorry: 15 Things College Students Are Guilty Of
Are you a college student? Chances are, you’re probably guilty of committing several (or all!) of these things.
Updated 28 Jun 2019
Ah, college. After years of hawk-eyed supervision from your parents, the unchecked freedom that comes with it can translate to some of the most memorable moments of your life. After all, it’s goodbye school uniform, hello late-night party!
If you’re a college student, here’s a list of things we’re confident you’re guilty of doing at least once.
(Don’t lie, we won’t judge.)
#1. Skipping classes
Classes at ungodly hours (i.e. 8am) are why you may have skipped a class or two. But can we blame you though, when research suggests students learn more effectively later in the day?
Chances are, you might have vowed never to skip classes early in the semester, but sooner or later, you’ll eventually find yourself whispering, “Just this once.” The next thing you know, you’ve slipped down the rabbit hole and can’t keep track of how many classes you’ve missed. Oops!
PRO TIP
While there are justifiable reasons for skipping class (e.g. falling sick or having a family emergency), just remember not to do it often or it may potentially harm your grades!
#2. Pretending to look busy during class
Let’s face it — there’s always that one subject that sends you straight to sleep as soon as the lecturer opens his or her mouth (philosophy, anyone?).
To make your boredom less conspicuous, you might be guilty of pretending like you’re busy taking notes or Googling terminologies on your laptop. In reality, you’re probably completing a masterpiece that started out as an idle doodle, scrolling through Facebook or tweeting about how boring the class is.
Author’s Note: I used to have a lecturer who had such a monotonous voice that I found myself on my laptop one day watching an episode of Glee. Unluckily for me, it was a comedic episode and I was caught chortling to myself. Guilty as charged!
#3. Sleeping anywhere, anytime
Whether you dozed off in the library in between classes or thrown a hoodie over your eyes during an early morning lecture, we’re all guilty of a short nap or two while on campus!
An architecture graduate shares, “I was once up for 21 hours, running solely on caffeine and adrenaline, working on a scale model of the Sultan Abdul Samad building made out of matchsticks. As luck would have it, I had an 8am class the next day. My lecturer was, thankfully, empathetic to cut the lecture short as some of us were dozing off!"
#4. Eating in class
The signs are crystal clear — no food in the classrooms or lecture halls. But over the course of your semester, you’ll gradually notice others breaking the rules, and you’ll soon join the fold.
Not that you can help it. With a packed schedule, sneaking in some food during class is sometimes necessary to quell your hunger and avoid the risk not being able to pay attention in class, no thanks to a growling tummy.
PRO TIP
If you’re going to be munching in class, pack a snack bag of these brain foods to keep you alert and nourished!
#5. Doing assignments at the last minute
We’ve all been guilty of procrastinating and waiting until the last minute to work on our assignments just to enjoy more time with our friends at the mamak or to catch up on the latest episode of Game of Thrones.
Despite repeated warnings by your lecturer that “this is not something you can complete overnight”, you go “challenge accepted!” and start your assignment the night before it’s due.
Unfortunately, this leads us to our next college sin…
#6. Pulling all-nighters
Procrastinating on your assignment often leads to stressful all-nighters that involve sacrificing your precious sleep. What’s worse is when you’re racing against time to meet multiple assignment deadlines that are days from each other.
It is during one of those sleepless nights where you’ll ask yourself, “Why did I procrastinate?” or “Why did I say yes to that party invitation across town?” as you slog through the night, knowing that you have a morning lecture that you have to attend the next day. Oh, the self-hate.
DID YOU KNOW
A good night’s sleep has many benefits for your physical and mental health. You may not always catch a full 8 hours of sleep, but you know it’s time to catch up on those ZZZs when it’s your forehead typing out your assignment!
#7. Showing up to class late
Pulling all those late nights can take a toll on you, especially when you’re fatigued to the point of sleeping through 5 alarms, an earthquake and a thunderstorm.
Nevertheless, you somehow manage to drag yourself to class (albeit, 15 minutes late) with an apologetic smile for the lecturer before slinking into your seat — hurrah!
PRO TIP
: If you find yourself strapped for time, here are our tips on getting ready for class under 11 minutes.
#8. Prioritising your social life
It’s fun to finally be able to stay out late, go clubbing in the city or enjoy an active social life with friends. However, over time, you’ll begin to notice the pattern where you’re prioritising your social life over your academic pursuits.
After all, it’s been said that the friends you make in college are the best you’ll have. And let’s face it, wouldn't you rather go clubbing than sit in front of the computer alone doing assignments?
PRO TIP
It’s important to balance your academic and social life. If you need some suggestions, here are some tips to be more productive in college.
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Start now#9. Going shopping during long breaks between classes
… and complaining about being broke after.
At some point during college, depending on how your classes are arranged, you will find yourself with hours of free time to kill between classes. So what better way to pass the time than to lepak at the nearest mall and do some shopping?
No doubt, you’ll be guilty of encouraging your friends to get that pair of shoes you know they don’t need (and you’ll be on the receiving end of these persuasions too).
Shopping in between classes also leads to skipping classes (read: point #1), so do keep an eye on the clock!
#10. Fully utilising your student discounts
This is probably one of the best benefits of being a student!
Having a valid student ID means being eligible for awesome student discounts. Whether it’s food, movies, karaoke sessions or even tickets to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, you’ll never miss an opportunity to ask, “Do I get a student discount?” wherever you go in order to fully utilise your benefits as a student.
#11. Complaining about your campus facilities
“It took me over 20 minutes to walk to class because there were no parking spots near the campus!”
”The printer is broken again.”
”Don’t they ever clean the seats or carpets in the lecture halls?”
As college students, there is always plenty to complain about. Despite all the whining, you somehow find a way to pull through. Go, you!
#12. Copying generously from the internet for your assignment
When you’re rushing through an assignment, it can be convenient to “borrow generously” (read: copy and paste) from various websites, or “spin articles” (read: paraphrase and replace certain words) based on scholarly resources found online. After all, who has the time to come up with “independent thought” and “critical assessment” when the clock is working against you?
Just remember that this can be deemed as plagiarism, which carries significant consequences, including failing your class as well as expulsion from your institution!
PRO TIP
It might be helpful to know that plagiarism detection is becoming more sophisticated, with plagiarism software Turnitin flagging 10 types of plagiarism. To avoid getting in trouble, utilise free resources such as Dupli Checker and Plagiarism Software.
#13. Taking pictures of your lecturer’s slides as “notes”
Good ol’ smartphones. We’re sure many of you have utilised the camera function on your phone as a form of “taking notes”.
With your lecturer zipping through the material without giving you a chance to copy down the details, you resort to taking pictures of the notes on the whiteboard and scribble in your notebook, “Refer to slide.”
PRO TIP
Although taking a photo is infinitely easier and faster, studies show that writing notes by hand will allow you to grasp concepts better and retain information longer. The trick is not to copy word for word, but to summarise the information in your own words.
#14. Forgetting to put your phone on silent
There’s always that one student who forgets to put his or her phone on silent when a lecture is ongoing. There’s the unmistakable flush in their cheeks as all eyes in the packed lecture hall swivel towards the culprit as they scramble to silence their phone.
Unfortunately, you’ve probably been that person at some point in your college life.
#15. Leeching off free wifi for hours
Most colleges provide unlimited wifi, which we’re sure you take full advantage of, especially when it comes to working on group assignments and studying on campus.
For those who are less inclined to utilise the free wifi for work, this means using it to download movies and play games in between classes!
Whether you’re guilty of committing all (or some) of these college sins, there’s no denying that college will be among the best time of your life before you step foot into the working world. So, enjoy your student life while you can, and remember that while it’s not always easy being a student, with some hard work and determination, you’ll get through it!
Chances are, if you’ve done all these in college, you’ve probably lied about them too. Check out the top 10 lies college students tell their parents here.
Psst… are you guilty of committing other college sins? Share them with us in the comments below! (We promise not to snitch on you.)
Natasha Sin
I went outside once. That was before Netflix.
