Hey, did you hear about the "Dead Roommate" clause? It goes something like this: If your roommate dies, you get a 4.0 for the semester. Supposedly, this great grade-point average will "compensate" for all the trauma and grief you experienced because of the whole horrible ordeal.

No. Not true.

OK, let's be real here. There are tons of college-related myths out there. So you'll want to separate reality from rumor. After all, you don't want to start college thinking your roommate might do you in just to make the dean's list.

Maybe you've heard this: If you don't meet your future spouse during college, you'll never get married. Relax. It's a myth.

Unfortunately, some colleges have gained reputations as "Marriage Factories." You go there to look for a mate, and within a year after graduation (or even before graduation) you're happily married. I'm sure you've heard the dumb old joke about the girl who's working on her M.R.S. degree.

Anyway, because of this myth, many students spend a lot of time—time better spent studying or building friendships—searching for that perfect man or woman. But keep two things in mind:

1) There is no perfect man or woman.

2) College is primarily about getting an education, not about finding a mate.

OK, some people do end up falling in love at college—and some of those people do get married. But you and your parents are not forking out bundles of bills so you can find a future mate. If love happens, cool. If not, hey, no problem. Learning—and applying your faith to what you're learning—is your first priority.

There are a few myths about friendship, and some of them contradict each other. Consider this one: You'll never make new friends! Or the fictional flip side: Everybody on campus will be your friend!

Here's the reality: Friendship will happen. You will make friends, but making friends will take some work. In a sense, you're starting all over. You're going to have to take some chances, like saying "hello" to someone you don't know. You're going to have to get involved in some activities, like intramural basketball or French club.

Yes, you'll need to do something to make friends. But, again, friendship is going to happen. As for being a friend to everyone on campus? Well, just concentrate on a few good friends—you know, quality, not quantity.

While we're talking about friendship, here's another myth: You and your roommate will be best friends. Oh, it could happen. You two might get along really well. You might go to some concerts together. You might study together. You might read e-mails from home to each other.

But on the other hand, you might never see each other because your schedules are so different. You might not even want to spend time together because your personalities are so different. If you and your roommate aren't great friends, it doesn't mean you've got the world's worst roommate. It also doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. You're simply roommates, not close friends.

It's tempting to think that because you're going to a Christian college, you're landing in some sort of heaven with dorms. Everybody always gets along. Everybody loves school all the time. Every one believes the same exact things. There are no problems. No doubt about it: You'll be transported to educational paradise. In a sentence, this myth states: A Christian college is a perfect place.

Time to get back down to Earth on this one. Yes, Christian colleges offer many opportunities to grow in your faith and as a person. Most people who go to a Christian college want to practice love and forgiveness. They desire to live out their Christian values. Even so, Christian colleges are full of people—imperfect people. Many of those people struggle. Some of them struggle more than others.

It's a fact that Christian colleges aren't perfect. Even so, don't let the imperfections—including your own—overshadow all the good and positive things you'll find on campus.

Next myth: You will do nothing but study. Some freshmen arrive on campus thinking this myth is totally true. They feel that all they'll ever do is read a truckload of textbooks, take mountains of notes, sharpen a zillion pencils and type up a few thousand term papers. There are three main reasons—also myths—why new freshmen think this way:

1) You must maintain a 4.0 GPA. For some students, it's pretty easy to pull straight A's in high school. These high achievers don't even know what a B looks like. But we've talked to really, really smart college grads who want to say this: "It ain't gonna happen!" You're not going to be perfect. And that's OK. That B (or C) will show up on your transcript. And when that happens, it won't be the end of the world.

2) Without great grades, you'll never get a decent job. Grades are important, but there are other things that will also go a long way toward getting you ready for your post-college career. Employers are interested in well-balanced people who've demonstrated leadership skills and who know how to relate well to others. But it's impossible to develop those kinds of "life skills" if you're super-glued to a textbook. For these kinds of skills, you'll need to leave your desk and find a club, a ministry to be involved in, a part-time job or some other after-class activity. But you don't have to do them all. Your future boss will be thrilled if you've done one or two of them really well. (If you do try to do everything on campus, you've fallen for this myth: You must be involved in everything.)

3) Professors want to flunk you. Professors are out to get you, right? So if you don't study, study, study you will flunk, flunk, flunk.

Wrong.

Yes, college is hard and professors can be very tough, but they are there to teach you—not fail you. They care about your education, and they care about you. They want to help you succeed. If you struggle, talk with them. No, professors are not ogres or orcs. They are reasonable, and they are human.

When freshmen begin college, they finally feel free and independent—maybe for the first time in their lives. They are so excited by this new independence, they easily buy into this myth: When you hit the campus, you are completely on your own.

And this seems pretty cool, until trouble strikes. Maybe you're homesick. Maybe you're struggling with your course load. Maybe you're struggling emotionally. Maybe you're doubting your faith.

The fact is, a Christian college is a place where support is right down the hall at the resident assistant's room. Or nearby in the campus pastor's office. And, as we've just said, professors are also helpful people who care. If you're struggling with your studies, many schools offer tutoring and courses in developing better study skills. Along with all this help, faculty members and students are willing to pray for you and with you.

But in order to keep this myth from messing with your head, you must be willing to say: "I can't do it alone."

These are just some of the myths you'll run into during your first month. There will most likely be others. So remain just a bit skeptical when you hear something that seems a little off or appears too good, or too weird, to be true. Ask around if something sounds fishy.

And please do your roommate a favor, even if you don't become best buddies. Assure the other person in your room that it really is OK to get a GPA lower than a 4.0. After all, you wouldn't want anybody getting any strange ideas. …

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Campus Life.