8 Major Misconceptions About College

From Animal House to Pitch Perfect, pop culture has shaped the way a lot of us think about higher education. But for many people, college is a lot different than these movies would leave them to believe,

Let’s explore some common misconceptions about college—from how much majors matter to the infamous Freshman 15—as adapted from the above episode of Misconceptions on YouTube.

1. Misconception: College students always stay up really late.
2. Misconception: The major you pick in college determines your career. 
3. Misconception: You have to have amazing SAT or ACT scores to get in. 
4. Misconception: If your professor is more than 15 minutes late, you can leave. 
5. Misconception: Everyone has an epic spring break. 
6. Misconception: All college students graduate in four years. 
7. Misconception: Everyone joins fraternities and sororities. 
8. Misconception: College students are doomed to gain the Freshman 15. 

Misconception: College students always stay up really late.

If movies and TV are to be believed, college courses will be so demanding that you’ll constantly be pulling all-nighters, pounding coffee and energy drinks in order to stay awake to cram for your next big test. In reality, only 20 percent of college students report staying up all night on a weeknight just once a month.

Misconception: The major you pick in college determines your career. 

Does the major you pick in college determine your career? According to Bloomberg, more than half of college graduates over the age of 25 don’t work in their field of study. This isn’t just due to choosing a highly specific or competitive major, although those reasons are also valid. It tends to speak to the job market overall, which can force job-seekers to take whatever paying gig they can land, especially if those student loans are coming due. 

New grads were hit especially hard during the pandemic. And then the scramble for entry-level jobs snowballed as more graduates entered the workforce and found themselves competing for the same jobs as those who graduated the year before. 

The good news? Many employers—as high as 93 percent of them—are less concerned about what you majored in and more concerned that you’ve developed skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving. Now, that’s not to say that you can be a fine arts major and go get a job as a neurosurgeon. But overall, what it says on the piece of paper from your college is not as important as the fact that you have it. (And even that is starting to change!)

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Misconception: You have to have amazing SAT or ACT scores to get in. 

Good test scores never hurt anyone, and they definitely help with scholarships. But you don’t need to lose sleep thinking you’re going to miss out on your dream school because your points don’t measure up.

During the pandemic, many high school students missed out on testing or weren’t able to get proper test tutoring because of social distancing measures and in-person school shutdowns. As a result, many colleges made submitting ACT and SAT scores optional (though several schools have since reversed that decision). 

Proponents of the test-optional movement say that, among other things, ditching scores helps to expand diversity and gives opportunities to those who have been historically unable to apply. For example, Cornell reported a 50 percent increase in the share of first-generation college students in 2022. 

Even so, other schools, such as MIT, reverted back to pre-pandemic test requirements. The reasoning, MIT explained, is that standardized testing actually helps them identify students who are clearly qualified, but may have lacked access to advanced courses and enrichment opportunities in high school.

Misconception: If your professor is more than 15 minutes late, you can leave. 

This long-persisting myth is kind of like the five-second rule of academia. As with the five second rule, however, there doesn’t seem to be much basis in fact. Some colleges have even gone on record to confirm that a tardy teacher doesn’t mean students are off the hook. Several institutions, including the California State University-Fullerton and the University of Alabama. have issued statements debunking the rule. 

Misconception: Everyone has an epic spring break. 

If you’re not having an epic spring break in Cabo, South Padre, or Daytona Beach, are you even a college student? Contrary to popular belief... yes. Not every student in college has the means or desire to travel during that week off in February or March.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 16 million students across the U.S. are enrolled in undergraduate programs. In 2023, Forbes reported that a mere 1.5 million students travel for spring break every year. Now, if that seems low to you, other studies show that 25 percent of students traveled for spring break during the pandemic in 2021, which increased to 35-40 percent of students in 2023. While all of those numbers vary quite a bit, one thing is clear—the spring breakers are in the minority.

That means most students are spending their spring breaks working, studying, or hanging with family. So while it may seem like everyone you know is going to a beach to escape the cold winter months, try not to get FOMO—not everyone is partying it up.

Misconception: All college students graduate in four years. 

The term super senior, also sometimes called a “victory lap,” can be used to describe someone who takes more than four years to graduate from a four-year program, like a bachelor's degree. But it’s hardly rare—in 2019, 19 percent of college students graduated in either five or six years, compared to 41 percent who graduated in four.

But before you say college kids are spending too much quality time with red Solo cups when they should be studying, think again. Some of the reasons experts cite for becoming a super senior include financial hardship, changing majors, attending high schools that didn’t prepare them for college, having personal challenges, and being unable to register for the right classes at the right time.

While it’s becoming quite common to extend your college career, it probably isn’t the most financially sound decision, especially if you’re in the U.S.: The longer it takes to earn your degree, the more student loan debt you’re likely to rack up.

Misconception: Everyone joins fraternities and sororities. 

An estimated 750,000 students across the U.S. are part of Greek Life at their colleges—a small number compared to the roughly 16 million enrolled in undergraduate studies. And not all campuses are created equal. At some schools, especially in the South, more than 50 percent of enrolled students are involved in Greek Life; other colleges hover around 5 percent participation.Not every school even offers the opportunity—a few with no panhellenic options at all include Princeton, Notre Dame, Boston College, Vassar and Rice. Though that’s not to say they don’t have underground options or different social club frameworks.

So, should you join Greek Life? Like anything, there are pros and cons. While incidents of hazing and excessive partying continue to hit the news cycles, Gallup polls have also shown that Greeks tend to have more success getting jobs right out of college, have better well-being and engagement at work, and feel more supported overall. Though little work is done on whether that’s more to do with joining the Greeks or with the type of people who join Greeks. 

Misconception: College students are doomed to gain the Freshman 15. 

The Freshman 15 is both true and false. In case you’re not familiar, the Freshman 15 is the idea that freshmen gain 15 pounds by the end of their first year in college, usually due to things like not making healthy choices in the dining hall and exercising less. 

The idea itself is true. Multiple studies have shown that freshmen do tend to gain weight that first year, precisely for the reasons mentioned. But it’s very rarely 15 pounds. One study observed an average of a 2.7-pound increase, with men gaining more than women. 

Even if there is a little bit of truth to it, it’s time to scrap the shame behind the Freshman 15 anyway. The term Freshman 15 first appeared in a 1989 issue of Seventeen magazine, likely with no scientific evidence attached to the 15 pounds at all—it’s just that Freshman 15 is more alliterative and catchy than “The Freshman 2.7.”