When I got accepted into Oswego, I did no research on it besides that it gave me the best financial aid from all the other colleges I got accepted to. So, if you’re smarter than seventeen-year-old me and you’re reading this article, here are five things I wish I knew before I came to Oswego.
- The Weather
The weather in Oswego is so horrid. During the fall semester and spring, it’s either super gloomy and cloudy or freezing and snowing, with no in-between. The wind here gets pretty high and will literally almost blow you away. The only time the weather is actually nice and sunny is during the start of the fall semester and the end of the spring semester which sucks. Seasonal depression is real here!.
- Apply for a Campus Job
College is expensive, obviously. Some of us are not fortunate enough to come from money so getting an on-campus job is the best thing possible. During my freshman year, I took Spring 2021 off, but when I came back on campus in Fall 2021 I was fortunate enough to be a desk attendant (DA) at Cayuga and did that for almost two years and now I work at Penfield Library. There are plenty of on-campus jobs, but the hard part is applying early before the semester starts. and everyone else is also looking for a job!
- It’s a Small Town
To some people, Oswego is bigger than their hometown, but to others like myself, Oswego is so small. Going from living in Manhattan and having stores on every block along with various things to do, to Oswego where the main shopping store is Walmart, and most food places to order from all just have pizza, fries, and calzones. Thankfully, we’re all here for classes and will probably be busy most of the time, but when you do have free time and want to do something in town, there isn’t much unfortunately.
- Join an Organization
During my first two years at Oswego, I wasn’t a part of any organization so I would feel bored and like I was missing out up until my third year here aka last fall. I joined rugby, RITMO, and Her Campus. After a few rugby practices I realized rugby was too rough and not the sport of a sport for me, but it was still a fun experience getting to meet new people and try out something new. Same thing with RITMO. I love RITMO so much and really enjoyed dancing, but I stopped going due to personal reasons. As you can tell, I stood with Her Campus and I was social media manager for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 and now I’m Campus Correspondent! It’s okay to join an organization and realize it isn’t for you. As long as you’re getting out there and getting outside your comfort zone.
- Invest in a Fridge
The dining hall food is hit or miss and sometimes your schedule won’t align with dining hall hours, so it is best that you get a fridge. Also, if you get hungry after the dining hall closes it’s good to have backup food so you stay healthy and eat a good meal. Granted, you may not always want to cook a full meal, but it’s good to have convenient things to make and frozen foods!
Overall, if you’re planning to go to Oswego or already do, I hope you embrace it and romanticize it so it’ll be the best four years!