Many students entering their freshman year of college don’t know many people. To combat this problem and help the new freshmen class bond, many universities require students to attend a camp. Yes, the type of camp that involves bugs, the great outdoors, and sleeping in cabins. Last weekend, I attended one of these camps. It was an hour and a half away, in 100 degree heat and I was joined by 150 people whom I’d had never met. Needless to say, I felt less than thrilled about having to go. Yet, upon further consideration, I realized that camp would be what I made of it. I knew that if I went in with a negative mindset, then the whole weekend would suck. So, I changed my attitude and I ended up really enjoying myself. Here are some tips and tricks that I followed in order to make the most out of my weekend.
- Go in with an Open Mind
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By going in with a lot of energy and a positive mindset, I attracted other people who were also looking for a good time. If I had gone in thinking the whole weekend would suck, then my negativity would have attracted other people who didn’t want to have fun. Since camp is mandatory, you can’t control that you’re there. The only thing you can control is your mindset. Quite frankly, It’s a waste of time and energy to spend the whole weekend hating it.
- Talk to New People
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Since camp is intended for students to bond, it’s important to talk to new people. I went in knowing a couple of people, but I was eager to find different friends living on my floor. At each of the meals, I sat with a different group and made an effort to engage in conversation with my peers and get to know them. Find something you have in common with each new person you meet and build conversations from there. A really easy thing to start with would be asking why they chose your university and what their major is. While it’s not likely that you’ll meet your new best friend, but by talking to new people, you’re bound to create a larger social circle.
- Follow the Rules
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Even though you’re now a mature college student, that doesn’t exempt you from the rules. This goes for the rules of the campgrounds and your university rules. Even if some rules seem arbitrary, they have all been put in place to keep students safe. Nothing ruins camp more than getting a lecture for breaking the rules or worse, having someone get injured because they couldn’t follow directions.
- Respect your CAs/RAs and advisors
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Your Community Assistants and Residential Aids put the camp together with your best interests in mind. They didn’t spend months of planning with the goal for you to hate the weekend. They want you to have as much fun as possible and it’s important to respect them and to thank them for their hard work. Establishing a mutual respect early in the semester will help and through the next few years.
- Participate in all Activities
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Every activity at camp was designed with a purpose. Therefore, you should make an effort to participate in every activity that you can. There’s guaranteed to be people in each activity who feel the same way as you do so use each moment as an opportunity to bond. For example, we had a volleyball tournament and I am awful at volleyball. However, I found people on my team who were also unenthusiastic and we used it as an opportunity to laugh at ourselves and try our best. If you can’t physically participate in an activity, find something else you can do that relates to it. Be the cheerleader on the side or volunteer to be the group photographer. You can really choose to do anything at the activities as long as it’s not sitting on the side pouting.
- Be on the Lookout for Unique Opportunities
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Camp is a new environment so there’s bound to be new opportunities. I’m originally from Illinois and we have a lot of light pollution so it’s hard to see the stars at night. Cottonwood, Arizona doesn’t have this same problem at night so I gathered a few of my friends to stargaze. This was definitely my favorite memory of camp because it was so new to me, seeing the Milky Way and the stars light up the night sky. We also had the opportunity to do a sunrise hike at 5:30 am. This was by no means required, but I wanted to go because I knew I wouldn’t have the another opportunity to go during the rest of the school year. I implore you to take advantage of these opportunities at your camp and to make memories that can’t be replicated during the rest of your freshman year.