<p>College the “Best” 4 years of your life? gosh no! I hope you don’t peak that early. You’re most likely not even a 1/4 of the way through your life, by the time you’re finished with college. Maybe the best 4 years so far… but that is still subjective.</p>
<p>Press on!</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Don’t expect that these college years will be ‘the best 4 years of your life’. Thinking that and finding they aren’t might be disappointing. I viewed college differently than some might - I viewed it as a way to get an education so I could get a decent job afterwards and it worked out very well in that regard. I didn’t go to college to ‘have a good time’ but rather, as a necessary step to not not get stuck working low end jobs my whole life. I did have some fun during those years but not really with the college itself and I didn’t drink/drug/etc. - I went skiing, took up scuba diving, etc. The college years are a growing experience, a learning experience even outside of the academics, and a learning experience within the academics as well. For some people it might be their best years, for others HS were their best years, and for others, having kids and their family are the best years.</p></li>
<li><p>You don’t need to be a partier, drink, do drugs, etc. in college. I didn’t and my kids didn’t. It looks like you’re going to a college that s/b large enough for you to find other like minded individuals. This is actually an advantage sometimes of a larger Uni. However, you may need to put some effort into finding them if you’re interested. You can also ‘do your own thing’ if that’s what you want. It’s not like HS, people tend to leave you more alone - at least at a U with a large student population.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t see why a roomie or anyone else needs to know anything about your urological area. It’s not like you’ll be walking around naked in front of each other. Don’t worry about this point - you can have as much modesty as you want and it’s fine and not unusual. You might want to understand the logistics of the bathrooms of the various dorms wherever you go since they can vary a lot from a community bathroom down the hall (but almost always with individual stalls for showers - not a large open community shower area), to semi-private shared between 2 dorm rooms, to a fully private one per dorm room, and other configurations - check them out but you s/b okay regardless.</p></li>
<li><p>You don’t need to be involved in sports in college and don’t even need to go to football games, etc. if you don’t want. Lots of people aren’t involved in sports. Depending on your major you might not even have time to go to football games, etc. even if you wanted to. It’s fine though - you can just do what you want - go or not go - no one will really care what you do. </p></li>
<li><p>I don’t see that being a Muslim s/b an issue as long as you don’t disturb others in its practice. If you want to get up early and pray just figure out a way you can do so without waking up or disturbing your roomies. Get creative - pray silently or go find an area, like a common room on the floor, to do the prayers. Just make sure you’re respectful of the roomies and hopefully they’ll be respectful of you. This is all part of learning to get along with others. You being a Muslim may be a good opportunity for your roomies to learn about a different religion (assuming it’s different to theirs) and help them grow as well. Meanwhile, you can learn about them if you’re interested. Just don’t push your religion on them - it’s all about setting bounds and being respectful.</p></li>
<li><p>The ‘freedom’ of leaving home isn’t exclusively about freedom to do negative things such as drinking/drugs/etc., it’s freedom to live o your own and be your own driver, be responsible for yourself rather than your parents telling you when to get up, when to go to bed, what to eat, when to do HW, etc. You’ll now have the freedom to make all of those decisions yourself without the parental ‘reminders’ (‘nags’) and can learn from doing so - sink or swim more on your own and be responsible for your own actions. You’ll have the freedom to choose the correct path for yourself without being forced by parents on a particular path. This is part of growing as a person.</p></li>
<li><p>You’re not leaving home forever so you still have that piece of flesh. You’ll still (probably) get to go home shortly after starting at Thanksgiving break, then again shortly afterwards at Christmas break, then just a while later at spring break, and then an extended time at summer break. In addition, if the college is close enough, there’s no reason your parents couldn’t come visit you every now and then, take you to lunch, go see some touristy thing, and catch up. You’ll find that the situation’s a bit different but it’s not like you’re leaving home for years without ever seeing your parents or visiting home again.</p></li>
<li><p>One area you might want to think about after you’re there for a semester or two is to get a part time on-campus job. this can help connect you with the campus in a different way, make contacts that can be beneficial in future employment, expand your horizons, and earn you your own spending money.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>As a college freshmen I’ll give you my advice 
My closest friends and I been involved with drugs, alcohol, sex, or parties. So people like us do exist! You don’t have to do these things in college, and won’t get pressured into them. </p>
<p>“people say college is for out-going kids.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m an introvert and can be very shy. Turns out there’s a lot of us as well. Just remember if you have a roommate, you’ll at least know one person. It only takes a few days to meet new people (make sure you leave your dorm room open!)</p>
<p>As for college sports, I can not tell you how much I despise them. However, it can actually be pretty fun to go to a football game or two with a group of friends. Just be open to trying to new things. If it turns out its really not for you, try something else. Join a club, or volunteer - college can offer plenty. Believe me you’ll find something.</p>
<p>In the case of roommates, I got along well with mine. We weren’t best friends, but it worked. Most college students are very open minded, and wouldn’t make a big deal out of a medical problem, or judge you for your religion. If you do get a roommate who makes you feel uncomfortable, talk to your RA about switching roommates. As for your early schedule, many colleges will try to place you with a roommate with a similar routine. At the college I attend we filled out a survey that matched us based on interests, bed time, alcohol use, etc. If your college has that, make sure you fill it out. </p>
<p>As for homesickness just remember it happens to everyone. My first month was miserable. I missed my family, friends, and high school classmates. After that things got easier, once I met some great people, and got scheduled in. Right now, I absolutely love college.</p>
<p>Congrats on the honors college. Check to see if there is honors housing you might be interested in. That will you will meet even more motivated and driven people. Good luck!</p>
<p>OP you’ve been given very good feedback. I don’t really have anything to add other than to say I think you’re a very fine young man and I wish you the best. You will go far in life.</p>
<p>It is sometimes possible to get a single room if you have a medical issue that would cause you embarrassment. You’d have to contact disability office to find out but you could do a search online to see if you can find any info.</p>
<p>My D is a freshman at Case. The social life in her dorm is very balanced, there are kids who go to frat parties but there are plenty who hang out in the dorm watching shows/playing games. I haven’t heard her talk about kids coming back from parties wasted or it being too loud for her to sleep. She really connected with the other students when we visited making it her first choice school. </p>
<p>I don’t believe there is substance free housing, but you are able to pick your specific dorm room after your deposit is processed. There are rooms off a hall and suite style rooms avail for freshmen. There are some singles in each dorm. The floor plans are available online.</p>
<p>I do know that a doctor’s note can often tip the scales for someone getting a single room. I also know someone who successfully got a note from his therapist.</p>