Thinking back, it was only 28 days ago when eager, wide-eyed freshmen first walked into their rooms and it dawned on to them that it was going to be their home for the next 8 months, away from annoying parents (whom they’ll miss dearly) and perhaps even away from their closes friends.
I wish I could say that I’m just a small town girl living in a lonely world, who took the midnight train going anywhere. Nope, I’m a big city girl, living in a world full of excitement, and I came to Queen’s during the day. My first impression was just overwhelming. So many new faces (I’m apologizing in advance for my inability to put a name to a face), so many new places (anyone up for a midnight exploration of campus?), and so many new things that I have to adjust to. Being away from home for the first time in my life is going to be a rough one. Here are the top 5 things that I definitely do not regret doing.
1. Enjoy frosh week.
All the running, pelvic thrusting, unknown liquid spraying, purple people running around screaming. I met so many incredible people and did the most ridiculous things. It was perhaps the most fitting way to sweep me off my feet and be plunged right into the Queen’s community. Might have seemed like hell at the time, but in retrospect, hilarious and it will certainly be one of the highlights of first year.
2. Meet as many people as you can and don’t burn any bridges.
I came here all by myself (all my close friends having gone to other universities 4+hours from here). Everyone is new to me and is just as much of an awkward potato as I am. A good place to start was my floormates and my frosh groups. People come from all sorts of different backgrounds and it’s particularly interesting to learn about them all. At the same time, stay in touch with those friends from high school. Learn about what’s up in their lives and share your new experiences as well. It never hurts to get an outsider’s opinion on things once in a while.
3. Treat school as work.
High school work ethics is not going to cut it anymore, unfortunately. Staying on top of readings, assignments and quizzes is key. Seems tedious, but if I’m paying money to get a good education, I might as well make the most out of it. Procrastination and I have a love-hate relationship and it’s known for eating up time, which I don’t have a lot of anymore. But I heard time management is a thing of late, guess I should take that up sometime soon.
4. Learn to throw in the towel and let it go.
Likewise, don’t become a bundle of stress (at least not until midterms and finals). Yes, working and studying is important, but de-stressing and having a good time is just as important. I take time out of each day to just go around and socialize. Learn about what the others are up do and do something together, like doing inner tube water polo intramurals with my wing every Sunday evening.
5. Discover yourself and don’t be afraid try new things.
Ever since coming here, I’ve been asking myself, “Who am I?” To be perfectly honest, I don’t know. I guess university is also a period of transition where people learn more about themselves and more about how they can apply their strengths to make the world a better place. We all have good intentions but might not know how to use them. University is full of opportunities waiting to be taken. Step outside of your comfort zone and take paths that you never thought you would.