Dear Class of 2018,
Congratulations on making it through your first real week of Lehigh! By now you’ve probably gone to more parties than you did all four years of high school in just one week, puked in more bushes, and I’m willing to bet you’ve stumbled into one or two 8ams still a little tipsy from the previous night’s adventure. No worries, these things are totally normal and means you’re doing Lehigh (#6 Party School) right.
I’ve collected some advice to help make the most of your time here.
1. Lehigh buses save lives on this campus, but don’t be that kid who takes it from Taylor Gym to Drown. No one likes you!
2. For the love of God, DO NOT buy your books at the Bookstore. With five subjects of books, you can easily save over $200 just by buying books on Amazon or basically anywhere else.
3. The trick to making your first MOCOs a success is to wake up still drunk. When sober or hungover, you will not be down with waking up at the a** crack of dawn and immediately pounding natty light and shots.
4. Don’t worry when it seems like everyone around you has already picked a major and the exact career they want to end up with. Some seniors still don’t know what they want to do with their lives. Use your first year to test the waters. If you think you are particularly interested in a subject, take some classes in it, but if it turns out you totally hate it, don’t worry. Most of us have been in your position before and we turned out just fine. We think.
5. If you lose your swipe, wait a day or two before shelling out $15 for Lehigh to make you a new one. Most likely, someone will find it and be nice enough to email you letting you know they have it.
6. Hawk’s Nest Milkshakes are liquid gold.
7. You will want to throw your computer at a wall after receiving Lehigh’s daily announcement email every single day for your entire college career. But have no fear, you can unsubscribe to them by scrolling to the end of the email and following the link to freedom.
8. Before giving up and dropping out of a required class, take advantage of Lehigh’s tutoring program. It isn’t uncommon to have a class with a professor you can’t understand or just very hard material but it is possible to get through it and you will thank yourself later when you don’t have to retake it three times.
9. Use your upperclassmen friends for their knowledge. They have gone through the exact same things as you, whether it is social or academic and are happy to share wisdom.
10. It can be overwhelming being a freshman at Lehigh with so much exciting nightlife. Remember that just because we play hard, doesn’t mean we don’t work hard. You are paying a decent amount of money for an exceptional education. Take advantage of the fun that is available here but don’t let it take precedence over your academics. (Read: 6 Reasons Why You Should Go To Class)
11. Every student has that one moment, typically when they aren’t sober when they look at the absolute chaos unfolding around them, turn to their best friend and say “College, brooo.” Cherish these moments you have at this school because any upperclassman will tell you they wish they were in your position with four years left at Lehigh. The time goes by fast and these years will no doubt be the best years of your life.