Strange How We Are All Different, Yet Exactly the Same

Have you ever noticed that when a college student leaves home for the first time, they follow the same patterns that past college students have? I don’t mean the academic path. That will never change—That’s the whole point of going.
I mean the behavioral patterns. I’ve thought of a few examples of these very behaviors:

-Experimentation
Let’s get that one out of the way first. As soon as you leave your parents’ home, you will feel empowered with independence, and will quickly try to exercise that independence. You might start indulging in under-aged drinking, illegal drugs, cigarette smoking, or even sex (sex being used vaguely here. If you can think of it, it has probably happened). You’ll wake up without pants and having no idea where you are or how you ended up there.

-Activism
You will be entitled to your own opinion after leaving home. That means if your parents hold an opinionated rain cloud over your childhood home 24/7, you will no longer be showered by it. To prove that you can think whatever you choose and not what your parents want you to, you will exercise your free speech in conjunction with your newfound beliefs. Marches, sit-ins, booths, t-shirts, etc.

-Same-ness
Some college students, for some reason or another, continue the same patterns from high school. Most of these people still live with their parents. That isn’t a bad thing at all, since they save more money than other college students without that pesky room and board fee. They go to class, go back to wherever they live, study, and do it all over again the next day. No big transformation, no nothing. Just…same.

-Boldness
This one is always been interesting to me. Leave home for school, a sad moment but exciting at the same time. Your parents are proud, sad, and thinking about converting your room into that gym they’ve always wanted…and when you come home for fall break—BAM! You have bright purple hair, piercings in various and secret places, and colorful tattoos that are a product of a rushed decision and the world’s worst wing-man’s drunken words of encouragement. Your parents are taken aback, and you don’t care. I mean, they don’t own you anymore, right? (Wrong—let’s not rule out that inheritance so quickly!)

-Over Achiever
These people are quick to sign up for every campus event and opportunity there is to offer. It can be that they are either impressing their parents, or making themselves an impressive C.V. to wow the future boss, they are powerhouses of productivity.

I myself fall under the activism category. But I haven’t really changed my views. I’m a republican and catholic, so I have some activist tendencies against abortion. I’m very pro-life. But I also am in our school’s LGBTQ organization and march in the Gay Pride Parade downtown? That’s…a little anti-republican and anti-catholic to say the least. HA! I am trying my best, well that’s a lie actually. I’m trying hard to balance everything, but it shouldn’t be terrible because I didn’t sign up for more than I can handle. People need room and time to breathe. Only two jobs, five classes, and one club…for now.

I’m curious to see what category you all may fall under. I’m sure there are plenty more that I haven’t thought of.