Wishing a warm welcome to all of the bright new faces and fellow returning classmates! It’s going to be another wonderful year (fingers crossed!) in our cozy Greencastle niche. We’ve said goodbye to mom and dad; hello college life! Here are some key “MUSTS” to becoming (or staying) a true DePauw Tiger:
Grades. First and foremost, this may be cliché to say but … GRADES ARE IMPORTANT. Even though DePauw holds its place in the Top 20 of Princeton Review’s best party schools list for 2012, we fell in the rankings from #50 to #79 on Forbes’ list of Best Colleges in America (calculated in July 2012). It’s crucial now more than ever to prove that while we do play hard, we work even harder. Don’t skimp out on quality time with Roy O. West, and gather up the courage to meet with professors when needed.
Greek Life. Oh, wonderful, wonderful Greek life (am I coming off as a little biased?). As you enter the beautiful campus of DePauw University, with all its luscious greenery and tasteful architecture, the next sights likely to catch your eye are the numerous Greek chapter houses full of character and history. These houses may seem intimidating to walk by but as you look past the superficial ‘presence’ of these buildings, you’ll see that they are actually humble abodes to many bright young men and women on campus (more than 50% of upperclassmen to be specific). DePauw and Greek Life go hand-in-hand. This is because joining the Greek system means much more than friendship. It calls for philanthropic duties, strong GPA’s, and offers great networking connections. What’s not to love about recruitment?
Safe Ride. For those cold, rainy, or snowy weekend nights, safe ride will be your knight-in-shining van. So it’s a total MUST to put Safe Ride’s phone number on speed dial. When recollecting my freshmen youth, I can’t emphasize enough how Safe Ride saved me from looking like a wet dog even after hours upon hours of getting prim and proper. Safe Ride has saved the lives of many of my favorite boots from winter’s evil slush. Trust me, Uncle Patty (Safe Ride’s very own knight/driver) will be your best friend by the end of your freshmen year—and will be a friendship you want to maintain throughout your years at DePauw.
Rain Gear. Since we are already a month and a half into the school year, I’m sure all of you have had a warm welcome by the open arms of Indiana’s constantly looming thunderclouds. One thing I wish I had been told before moving to Indiana freshmen year was how much it rained here. Being a Colorado native, I only witnessed rain every few months, but Hoosiers seem to witness rain almost every week; and this is by no means ordinary rain that trickles ever so slightly and makes you want to share an intimate kiss with your significant other in it— it is the Terminator of all rain. It will come at you with full force; pelting down, slapping you from the side or mixed with the lethal combination of water and hail. So if you’re an out-of-stater like me, it’s a MUST to invest in some rain boots and a raincoat.
Participation. From the Highlighter Party, to films at Prindle, to speeches in East College, it’s a MUST to attend school events. Every college is different (well, duh) and the way a school defines its personality and character are by the distinctive events or speakers it hosts. Films that are shown throughout the year are generally on social issues in the world, an eye-opening study break that may just inspire you to get involved in making a change. The speakers invited onto this campus are successful individuals who have tips of the trade worth taking notes on. Alumnae speakers offer great insight on how to succeed, as well as emphasizing the inspiring notion that they started out just like us!
Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/
http://www.thebestcolleges.org/2012-princeton-review-party-school-rankings/