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Edwin Andrade

Freshman Year at CWU: 32 Do’s and Don’ts

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Jenny Johnson
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar CWU Contributor
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CWU chapter.

Transitioning from being Homecoming Queen to just another college freshman is no easy task. Every part of your life is changing at once and there is so much to look forward to—a new town, new friends, and freedom like you’ve never felt before. But if you’re anything like me I’m sure you’ve been given hundreds of pieces of advice on what you really need to know about college, and it’s hard to know what advice to take and what to politely smile and nod to. So here is 32 of the biggest things you need to know, from someone who’s actually been there, about your freshman year at CWU.

DO’S:

  1. BUY THE SHOWER SHOES. Just do it. You’ll thank me later.
  2. Keep your door open in the dorms. It’s an easy way to meet people that live around you.
  3. Go to athletic events. CWU has lots of awesome sports teams, and there are multiple games every week. Grab some friends and go to a volleyball or baseball game when you’re looking for something to do. And they’re always free!
  4. Talk to/Email your professors early on. Profs are usually way more forgiving when finals week comes and you could use a little grade bump if you’ve already established a relationship with them early in the quarter. If you email them and they don’t know what class you’re from, you’ve got a problem.
  5. Go to parties! Whether you choose to drink or not, going to parties is a great way to make new friends and expand your social circle.
  6. Give out your snapchat, not your phone number. Need I say more?
  7. Join a club. Sense a theme here? There are plenty of ways to make friends at CWU, but it’s up to you to get yourself there! CWU has dozens of clubs, and there is bound to be one you’ll love (*cough* Her Campus CWU).
  8. Explore the healthy food options in the SURC. Although it is easy to grab a pizza and a soda, the Freshman 15 is a REAL THING. There are plenty of healthy options in the SURC and Holmes Dining, and don’t be afraid to try something new! Your future self will thank you.
  9. Utilize the Rec Center. The fee for the Recreation Center is included in your tuition so you might as well take advantage! Try group fitness, a personal trainer, or join an intermural team. And DO NOT be intimidated by people that look like they know what they’re doing or a lifting a lot of weight. You are responsible for your health, and that fact that you’re there is worth celebrating alone, never mind how much you can single-leg squat.
  10. Get a lanyard for your keys. Your connection card and your dorm keys are important and expensive to replace! Do yourself a favor and buy a lanyard to keep them all in one place.
  11. Visit the Counseling Center. Feeling homesick isn’t something to be ashamed of, and odds are you will at some point during your freshman year. The Counseling Center has people that are willing to talk and work through the hard times with you, rather than going home every weekend.
  12. Make a good impression on your RA. Although you do have a lot more freedom now, it’s still important to be respectful to the people that are here to look out for you. Create a good relationship so if something goes wrong or you need something, they will be more willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
  13. Keep your room decently clean. Most freshman live with a roommate, and by keeping your side semi-clean can ease tension between you and your roommate. Be willing to compromise.
  14.  Call your mom. Or your dad. Or grandma. Or sister. Or cousin. Just call your family. You may be busy with all the new things going on in your life, but never too busy for your family.
  15. GO TO CLASS. This may the most important one. Although not all Gen. Eds. are attendance based, going to will make everything easier. I know you have more freedom than ever, but it’s really easy to get behind if you skip class 3 days a week. Just go.
  16. Ask for help. This goes for every part of your life! Need help in school, moving your furniture, motivation to go to the gym? Ask for help. Everyone is in the same boat as you, and you’d be surprised how willing people are to help.

DON’TS:

  1. Wear your lanyard around your neck every day. Put them in your backpack or your pocket. That’s all.
  2. Ask for extra credit after you fail a final. You will fail a test. It happens. Although you may be tempted to ask for some extra credit, what’s done is done at that point. Get yourself a cute planner and plan your studies better next quarter.
  3. Let your mom buy you 10 bath towels. You will be fine with 3 or 4, and let’s be honest, dorm rooms are tiny and you won’t have space for them anyway.
  4. Go home every weekend. As previously noted, lots of events happen on weekends (athletics, parties, etc.) and you will for sure miss out on meeting new people if your back home will your old people. (But do keep up with your old people!)
  5. Swipe you and all your sister’s friends for coffee and lunch. It’s nice to help someone out, but when you have $5 on your connection card for the last 4 weeks of the quarter, it’s no joke. Swipes are more valuable than you think.
  6. Buy an XL meal plan. Unless you do want to be the person that everyone asks for a swipe, stick with a medium or large meal plan, depending on how much you eat. You won’t go hungry and you’ll save yourself some money.
  7. Take 18 credits your first quarter. It’s okay to a little lighter load at first! Remember everything in your life in changing and the last thing you want to be in chained to a desk in the library while everyone is out making friends.  
  8. Ditch all your friends for your new SO. He or she may be the greatest thing to ever happen to you, but it’s important to establish your own friends as well. I promise they’ll still like you if you go out with the girls on a Saturday night. And if not, bye.
  9. Wear white shoes to parties. Unless you don’t mind them getting trashed, it’s best just to stay away.
  10. Leave your clothes in the washer for hours and hours. Part of dorm life is sharing the space with other people, so don’t be the girl that makes everyone wait for dryer because you didn’t feel like walking downstairs. Nobody likes that girl.
  11. Choose classes blindly. Talk to upperclassman, use ratemyprofessor.com, and talk to an advisor! All Gen. Eds. were not created equally, so do your homework to get the best teachers and classes.
  12. Spend a fortune on dorm décor. Everybody loves a good DYI project, but you’ll only be living here for 9 months. It’s really okay if your towels don’t match your shower caddy, I promise.
  13. Take an 8 AM class. It sounds great to be done with classes by 10 AM every day but waking up 7 does not. Trust me on this one, it’s not worth it.
  14. Over do it on the student charge. The Wildcat Shop seems magical when you can buy anything and charge it to your student account, but don’t be fooled, you will pay for it eventually! It’s okay to #treatyoself, but do so in moderation.
  15. Stay up all night studying. You’ve heard it all before but you will honestly hit your limit with studying, and when you do, just go to bed. Getting a good night’s sleep and waking up a little early to review is better than chugging a red bull to stay awake on your way into your exam.
  16. Be afraid to say no. In all settings. With new friends, with your S.O., at a party, or during a group project. You are in control of what goes on in your life
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