Between on-campus clubs, RA groups, and that admitted freshmen page you haven’t visited in 3 months, exercising proper Facebook group etiquette may sometimes be a bit of a challenge. Fear not collegiettes, here are some common faux pas to avoid on any University Facebook group.
1. Don’t post everyday.
While I understand how much you want to get your floormates to pledge for your sorority, I don’t think posting about rush EVERY SINGLE DAY is going to make the decision any easier. The occasional “Can I borrow a vacuum?” post is fine, but please contain your daily musings within in your status bar.
2. Don’t post links to other social networks.
It might be tempting to plug your Twitter/Tumblr/Myspace(?!) to a group with thousands of members, but it usually never works out. First of all, it makes you seem thirsty (yes you read that correctly). Secondly, the influx of new followers is short-lived; they’ll probably unfollow you after a week because they’re jealous of all your #starbucks #cup #selfies.
They just can’t handle this.
3. Don’t um…advertise.
This is probably one of the most cringe-worthy mistakes made in the form of Facebook posts. Why anyone would ever post drug related content on a university affiliated Facebook group is beyond me, but I think it we can all agree to just…not. RAs and university officials frequently monitor these groups, so you may not want to put your mind-altering activities on blast. However, if you absolutely must post about “looking for a cuddle buddy” or the like, I’d say Craigslist is much more suitable than your Admitted Freshmen group.
4. Don’t make inflammatory posts.
Honestly, there are more appropriate venues for heated debates (Twitter, anyone?) than a Facebook group meant for student networking. Even if you do succeed in winning a comment war, your debate acuity will have been overshadowed by your douchebaggery. If you’re craving some online intellectual combat, why not consider the YouTube comment section instead?
5. Don’t like your own posts.
This is pretty self-explanatory. I think most people will assume that if you made the post that you do, indeed, like it.
6. Don’t complain about the school.
Even as a lover of irony, I’m going to have to blow the whistle on this one. Complaining about your university on the university’s Facebook group? What better way to slap everyone in the face and then rub them the wrong way all in one post?
7. Don’t ask lame questions.
Everybody on three. One, two, three, GOOGLE IT. I understand that as a freshman you may have many questions regarding college life, but there are so many better resources other than Facebook. The next time you’re wondering about your dorm’s visitation policy, try calling the lobby and keeping your questions on the Facebook group more opinion based.
A lot of college students use university affiliated Facebook groups as a convenient way to stay hip with what’s going on around campus, so keep your posts short, sweet, and relevant and you’ll never have to worry about being “that Facebook girl” (or guy) ever again!