(Photo by Author)
Looking back at my freshman year, there are so many things I wish I had known. Your OL will do a decent job at giving you tips during orientation, but here is some tough love and advice you will find to be super relevant and useful as a freshman…
1) Don’t bring your nice jacket to the Tick Tock- It will most likely get stolen, and you will never see it again. Buy a fracket (a.k.a. a fake jacket) for a dollar at the thrift store, or go to Walmart. Tie your jacket to one of your friends’ so you don’t lose it at parties.
2) Don’t show up to the Ticker before 11:30- It will just be awkward and empty until about midnight.
3) Definitely don’t stand around and wait for your food to be ready in the Pub- Most of the time it takes forever, so you should just go sit down and come back 20 minutes later. It’s just crowded and chaotic.
4) Asking an upperclassman for a drink at the Ticker is not worth it- You will get kicked out because Coach’s employees are on the prowl. You’re not sneaky! If you do get kicked out, go see Coach the next day (even though the Ticker is creepy as hell in the daylight) and apologize. That will usually get you off the blacklist.
5) Don’t drink jungle juice at parties.
6) Don’t go too crazy and buy Sergis every weekend- It sounds like a great idea at 2:00 am on a Saturday, but it will definitely not work in your favor. FYI: fat bags are like 2,000 calories.
7) And pub cookies are 700 calories- just sayin’.
8) Don’t leave your parka at home, you will be sorry.
9) Don’t go to the gym between 3-6pm- It is survival of the fittest (literally) to get a treadmill.
10) You probably shouldn’t tan on the quad in a bathing suit- You will most definitely get weird looks.
11) Take advantage of the warm weather at SLU and don’t hesitate to go to raft day- But DON’T wear your nice sunglasses in the river.
12) Don’t make the mistake of giving your fake to a security guard- it will not end well.
13) Don’t be the kid at the party who needs two walls to stand up- AKA, don’t be the kid in the corner.
14) Blow dry your hair before going outside in the winter- people don’t call SLU the tundra for nothing!
15) Know your limit- You don’t want to be the kid who gets transported on the first weekend of school. Look out for your friends.
16) You might not find your core friend group right away- But that’s okay. All good things take time.
17) It’s cool to have guy friends- But having a solid group of girls by your side will make your social life that much better.
18) The QRC (the Quantitative Research Center) has all answers/textbooks to your math homework- Don’t spend $200 on a textbook!
19) Utilize the Word Studio in ODY if you need help with your writing.
20) Wait until your 21 to go to the Hoot Owl- They don’t really accept fake ID’s and a senior might give you a hard time.
21) Keep your distance from your sick roommate, if possible- You will get sick, germs spread fast. So, wash your hands, clean your sheets, sanitize the room and all that jazz. You will thank yourself when the “slubonic plague” goes around.
22) If you can get away with making your schedule without Friday classes, do it- Thursday’s are one of the biggest nights, and having an 8:30am class on a Friday when you are hungover will be the death of you.
23) Overstaying your welcome when you sleep at a guy’s place that you just met is awkward.
24) Chicken salad and grapes at Newell is the best- But don’t make the mistake of going there every day. Your meal plan will run out real quick.
25) Go out of your way to smile at the kid you always pass walking to your 10:30 class- This simple act of kindness goes a long way.
And lastly,
26) Make sure you advantage of all SLU resources on campus- There’s Career services, ODY, Health and Counseling Center, The Club Fair, Tutors, The DUB, SLU Advocates, Financial Services, etc. It’ll be worth it.