It’s hard to believe that only five months ago, my father pulled up in front of Duchesne East on Newton Campus in an enormous moving truck, schmoozing with police officers and RAs while I actually hid behind a bush, ready to pack up and head back to Chicago. I wish I could go back and pull that girl out of her shell and tell her a few things about how to make the college transition the best one she will have in her young life. Obviously when heading into a new living situation, you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and talk to strangers, giving your all to this new experience. However, there are some aspects of BC that I have learned since then that everyone should know as they finish their freshman year.
· Don’t take a tray in any dining hall, in any situation.
· If they say it’s “Fiesta Night” at Mac or Stuart, run in the other direction, unless you want your own fiesta in your intestines.
· It’s generally not cool to wear sweats to class. But if you wear yoga pants and sneakers, you can convince people you didn’t just roll out of your bed and actually just came from a 7 am yoga class.
· The macaroni and cheese station in Lower is the greatest thing to ever happen to any meal, ever.
· Don’t leave your computer open with your friends around, unless you want your relatives on Facebook to hear about the last time you pooped.
· When you are waiting for an elliptical in the Plex, feeling like a whale, keep in mind that you saw that super fit girl eating mozzarella sticks last weekend at 1 am in Mac.
· Never forget your laundry in the machine, and check the hall to make sure that guy will not catch you moving his wrinkly boxers to the table.
· NOT ALL WATER BOTTLES HAVE WATER IN THEM. I have seen it all, from alcohol to laxatives to codeine from the infirmary.
· Get involved with good people. One of the miraculous things about Boston College is that really good people aren’t hard to find. You can find that one activity that will change your college experience. Whether it’s an a cappella group (like it was for me), community service, or intramurals, everyone needs to find their own home away from home.
· Oh, and don’t be ashamed to call your mom on your way to class. It will make her day and probably yours, too.
I’m lucky to be here and grateful that I can finish my freshman year knowing things like the importance of befriending your RA and how leaving your door open during Welcome Week makes a difference. So here’s to wearing snow boots out on the weekends and bowing to the applause after collapsing down the Mac stairs.
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