College MythBusters

College myths are full of humor or are just plan weird. Created from the students, college myths can relate to anything and are only limited to the imaginations of the ones who create them. The first college myth begins with move-in day. Students may claim they don’t get home sick, but, if it’s possible, most go home after the first week. Tammy Vela of essortment.com writes, “When your parents drop you off at your new college dorm, the feeling of independence is so overwhelming you can hardly contain yourself. I give you eight hours before you cry yourself to sleep on your new dorm pillow because you miss your parents.” One of the most well-known and feared college myths is the freshman 15. The myth goes that when a student enters college in August with a slim figure that the student will leave in May with an extra 15 pounds. No student is spared from the freshman 15, whether guy or girl. Though a myth, it is common for freshmen to gain a few pounds due to heavy drinking, being stuck in a dorm room with food available, and the much anticipated food packages from home. However, some freshmen lose weight while others may gain more than 15 pounds. It is rumored that every college campus has a haunted dorm where some student was either murdered or committed suicide. In some accounts, it is true that a student met an unfortunate end, while others are just elaborate stories that have been altered or passed down from one generation to the next. Even Western has its share of ghosts with rumors that Scott, Harrill, and the Moore building are all haunted. Too bad none of these ghosts do their homework. The next myth is that a Professor is allowed 10 minutes after the start of class before students may leave while a PhD is allowed 15 minutes. Chris Richman of College Humor.com says, “This is entirely false. If the professor is not present when the clock strikes the second that the class is scheduled to start, students may leave. They also win one million dollars, get a 4.0 GPA for doing so, and are titled king or queen of the universe.” Following closely with the above myth is that a student wastes $200 every time they skip class. This myth has been mathematically proven but mostly depends on which college the student is attending. It could be more or less than $200 depending on the tuition, but the main point is to go to class. During those late-night study sessions when a student is up until 5:00 and the exam is at 8:00, its better not to go to sleep. One point to keep in mind is that everyone is different when it comes to sleeping. Some can mange an exam with no sleep while others need a couple of hours to stay focused. Though a student might be able to pass an exam without sleeping the night before, it is more likely that the will not remember any of the information that they studied. Since many professors at Western give a cumulative exam at the end of a semester, they will have to restudy what they should already know. Another myth is that a GPA is important. This myth is both true and false. An employer will most likely never ask what a student’s GPA was during college. However, if the student is planning on attending grad school, then GPA is extremely important, especially for law or medical school. Whether a student is going to grad school or not, a high GPA does allow for more opportunity with school activities and scholarships. Finally, for the heavy partier or drinker on campus, the myth “Beer before liquor, never sicker; liquor before beer, in the clear” might come to mind. In actuality, the order that a student drinks does not matter, but it is the amount that counts. The amount, how fast the student drinks, and what the student drinks all determine whether someone will experience a crippling hangover the next morning.