Starting freshmen year at an HBCU can be exciting, scary or both for everyone. Coming in, the only thing I expected was good food and good times. I knew that it was important to look cute, but everyday, though? I also thought that I was going to join every single organization that looked interesting, but guess what? That wasn’t how it worked for me. Here are some lessons that I learned within my first month at an HBCU that will hopefully give a little guidance to future HBCU students:
- Fried Chicken Wednesday’s–  Throughout high school there were always chicken tender Friday’s, which used to be my favorite meal of the week. After the first day of school, it was clear that chicken tender Friday does not compare to Fried Chicken Wednesday at all. It is important to go to the cafeteria as soon as you can if you don’t want to spend most of your lunch time standing in the line. From the crispy fried chicken, corn bread, macaroni and cheese to the peach cobbler and sweet tea, I’m pretty sure that my freshmen fifteen has already happened.
- There’s always something going on– The first few weeks of school are busy no matter where you go, but at (most) HBCUs there’s ALWAYS something going on. There is literally never a dull moment. As a freshman myself, I notice myself getting stressed because I want to try to make every event which isn’t possible all of the time. With there being so much going on, it is easy to forget things that you have to do (which is why my planner is essential to my life).
- Don’t sign up for too many organizations– The first organization fair of the year can be both exciting and a bit overwhelming for freshmen. So many clubs that you never knew existed that appeal to your interests; it’s so tempting to sign up for almost everything. Don’t get me wrong, some people can balance being in ten clubs but most can’t. Hearing upperclassmen list all of the organizations they’re in may put pressure on you to join too much for you to handle, especially when you’re still trying to adjust to the college life.
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- Looking presentable is a must– Before attending an HBCU, people told me that everyday was like a fashion show, but I thought they were just over exaggerating. Surely people don’t pop out on a daily, right?? Wrong, maybe at any other school that’s not a HBCU. After my first two weeks, I realized that maybe I needed some more heels and that I needed to lay my edges more often. Another reason to always slay on campus is because you never know who you might see. You could bump into your next potential boo or even somebody that you could network with for the future. So, if you plan on looking like a bum 24/7, it’s best to just stay inside.
- Black diversity- At an HBCU, it is common to come in thinking that you’re just going to be surrounded by similar black people and that’s it. But nope, not at all. Everybody is so different in their own way. Just from being around people, I’ve picked up different sayings and habits. There are people from all over the world, literally. Not everybody is black or white. I was shook when I saw how many Middle Eastern people we had on campus, because I really thought that all I was going to see were black people and a few whites.
As you can see, my first month was full of what can seem like “small” lessons when actually they’re kind of major in their own little way. As I am about to enter my third month of college, I am still learning new things each and every day. One last lesson that I have learned is that it is very important to keep an open mind. Being in a new surrounding with new people, it is important to not be closed minded because that can really hold you back from opportunities. Why miss out on things because you don’t want to think outside of the box? That’s not smart, sis. So to all of the future HBCU students, good luck and learn from my lessons.