This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal Lutheran chapter.
Starting school is tough. Starting college is tougher. And starting college as a first year is possibly one of the hardest tasks God ever assigned the human race. So to all the fresh meat on campus, here’s a few tips on how to survive Freshmen Year:
- Wear Your Lanyard…EVERYWHERE That “free” orientation lanyard you received on move-in day? Yeah, attach your ID badge to that and wear it AT.ALL.TIMES. One, you will look FABULOUS. Two, everyone will know you’re new on campus. And, three, they can easily know your name with one quick glance at your stomach. Freshmen year is about getting to know people, right?
- Arrive to Class 20 Minutes Early College students are creatures of habit, so the seat you get on the first day of class is basically the seat you will die in. BUT…there are occasionally those heathen creepers who love to mess with the human psyche and “switch it up.” So, #1: You have full permission to round-house kick them out of your chosen throne, and #2: You need to arrive 20 minutes early to class EVERY DAY in order to ensure that your seat is YOUR SEAT.
- Embrace the Freshmen 15 The gym is for people who don’t study. And you came to college to study, right? Or…at least, learn some things and acquire some knowledge…or something like that. So, never go to the gym, and sit around all day because sitting fosters knowledge. If a few extra pounds latch onto your thighs along the way, think of those fat cells as extra friends.
- Answer EVERY Question in Class If your professor could care less about participation, this is important. If your professor is big on participation, then this is even more important than breathing. You MUST answer every question. Snatching participation points from your faceless classmates should be instinctual…more instinctual than Troy Bolten finding that his head’s in the game but his heart’s in the song. It should make you feel so right…
- Always Carry ALL Your Books College is about being prepared. So make sure you’ve got a giant backpack (preferably one on wheels) that can carry all your textbooks for all your classes all at once all the time. Just think of the back muscles you’ll be building!
- NEVER Talk to Your Roommates They spend all day making friends, so they’re bound to be tired of socializing by the time they get back to the room. And plus, the definition of Roommate [room-meyt] is “forced friendship,” so you don’t have to worry about them not liking you. So, for example, if roomie Suzie comes back after a long day of class…just stop whatever you are doing, stand up (to show respect, of course), and stare her down as she walks to her side of the room (so she knows you notice her and that you care). This will ensure that your roomie feels loved, AND that she doesn’t have to be even more tired by small talk and intrusive conversation. So good luck, and happy Freshmen year to you all.