The first few days of university may be a blur of red cups and Frosh Week cheers, but come September 6th, the party gets interrupted for a little while for the reason we are all at Carleton in the first place—class. At first, the lectures can be a bit overwhelming and the campus may seem confusing, but with a few tips, the first week of class is not so scary at all.
Thursday, September 6th:
It’s a good idea to spend day one looking for all of your classes. When you’re not in class, explore the campus a bit, and find each of your class locations. No one wants to be the one on day six, still clutching their campus map from frosh trying to figure out what ‘SA KM-TH’ means. Once you understand the campus, finding classes is easy and knowing where you’re going really comes in handy when you hit the snooze button a few too many times and have to run to class in ten minutes.
Friday, September 7th:
Friday should be another day of exploring, but this time, head down to the tunnels and learn how to get to your classes from them. At first, it can be a bit confusing and most people may not use the tunnels until those frigid winter days, but if you wake up to a cold, rainy day, you’ll want to take the tunnels to class. They’re pretty simple once you have an understanding of how they’re laid out and you’ll notice direction signs all over the place.
Tip: Just in case you get a little lost, it never hurts to put a picture of the tunnel map on your phone to help you out.
Saturday, September 8th:
On Saturday, between recovering from Friday night and getting ready for the next party, take some time to head out with your new friends and check out South Keys. It’s easy. All you have to do is take the O-train to Greenboro. You’ll reach South Keys Plaza, which is packed with stores for everything you need for school. You can pick up your groceries from Wal-Mart, go out for lunch, or grab any school supplies you need. Heading to South Keys is a great idea if you find that you forgot anything back home. Whether it’s a stapler or a power bar that you’re after, it’s all there.
Sunday, September 9th:
Sometimes it’s nice to just take a break from campus life and spend a day downtown. Take the day off, hop on a bus and see what Ottawa has to offer. Learning the bus system can be a bit of a challenge, but it’s not as difficult as some people think. It won’t be too long before you understand it and the OC Transpo website has a travel planner that will guide you if you need help. In your first week, you won’t have assignments or too many readings to worry about, so it’s a good time to tour Ottawa. Check out some museums or Byward Market or wander around the Rideau Centre. Spend Sunday getting to know the city.
Monday, September 10th:
By now you might have noticed that the Fresh Food Company in Residence Commons isn’t the only place to eat around campus. If you have some free time, check out some of the other places that you can grab a bite at. For those days when your stomach is growling and you only have ten minutes in between classes, you’ll appreciate knowing where you can get a quick sandwich.
Tip: Check out Rooster’s in the Unicentre, a great place to grab a pita or a quick coffee on the run.
Tuesday, September 11th:
Something that not many students do is introduce themselves to their profs. Every professor has office hours and they will tell you what they are during your first day. Meeting your prof is a smart idea because if they know you by name, they will be more likely to help you out if you need it. You’ll find that your professors are pretty cool and love to chat. If you’re ever looking for advice on assignments or careers in your field, they will likely be more than willing to sit down with you and give you a hand.
Wednesday, September 12th:
By the time you’re finished class on Wednesday, you will have officially made it through your first week of classes! This is the point where you need to pull out the syllabus for each of your classes and look for the required texts. It’s time to buy the books you need. It’s best to put off buying books until after you have been to each class once to make sure you only buy the ones you need. Your profs will tell you exactly what that is during your first lecture. The University Centre has the campus bookstore and some of your books will be there, but you can also find some of them at Haven Books and Octopus Books. Haven Books was my favorite and you’ll find that a lot of profs recommend it.
Keep in mind that the first week of classes is mainly introductory. Not all of your professors will have full lectures planned and most will let you out rather early. However, be prepared for class and come to your lecture ready to take notes. Some people will bring their computers (sometimes it’s difficult to find an outlet, so make sure you have a full battery!) and others will come with a notepad and a pen, so figure out which one works best for you and have it ready to go. The first week of class is nothing to worry about, so relax, sit next to that cute guy you’ve been seeing around your frosh events, and have fun!
Check out our other Frosh Life posts for more first-year tips!
Photo Sources:
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/07/08/south-korean-schools-to-go-paperless-…
http://www.collegemobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Carleton-Map.jpg
http://exurbanpedestrian.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/ottawa_1.jpg
http://www1.carleton.ca/academics/support/