It’s O-Week (not that we call it that here), and you know what that means- more dartying, partying, and sunglasses in class than there will be for the rest of the school year. First weekend on campus, there’s really only two guidelines to stick by as a first-year: say yes to everything (with obvious consent limitations) and as cheesy as it sounds, be true to yourself.
You Might Not Like Anyone in Your RCC
While it might feel like girls glue to each other and connect for the long haul right off the bat at Rollins, you might just get the short end of the stick with your orientation group. If you’re not vibing with anyone in your intimate first semester 9 a.m, make the effort to hang around your res hall or get a student job earlier on. It’s a small school, so you don’t want to wait until second semester to feel like there’s no one new to meet.
Everyone Will Talk About Sorority Recruitment
“What sorority are you gonna rush?” and “well I talked to these really cool Phi Mu girls and chilled with them after the Darty and I totally think they’re like number one here” are just two examples of not-so-soft whispers you’ll hear echoing through campus first semester. Recruitment isn’t until January. No need for that.
Not only is it not allowed to talk to girls in sororities about recruitment beforehand or promise any loyalty to any one sorority, but it’s kind of irrelevant until December, so it’s best not to bring it up- even with other freshmen.
Lib Wednesdays
Ah, the liquor pitcher. If you and your orientation group or hall mates haven’t rallied together and made the hike to UCF to enjoy the party-at-your-own-risk atmosphere for all it’s worth, it’s a must. No sensible upper-classman will accompany you on this journey of blood, sweat, break-dancing and vodka much after the hype of the new year is over, so take advantage of Knight’s Library and Pub- even though they’re twenty minutes away, it’s bound to make hilarious memories for you and your new friends. But just another word of advice, wear sneakers.
Don’t Think Your First Friends Have to Be Your Best Friends
Blah, Blah, I know what you’re thinking- you heard the same thing from your mom sitting at the kitchen table before your first day of high school. But it’s more important now, and it’s even more important to remember that we’re really not all adults here. Freshman year is jam-packed growth, discovery, and the sweetness of new relationships and experiences. The common argument that we’ve turned 18 and we deserve to be treated as grown-ups, well, let’s just be honest- none of us have our shit together. So now that we have that out of the way, go up to that down-to-earth girl from your RCC you’ve been meaning to get to know better. And don’t worry about what your squad will think.
People Will Go Home. Don’t Do That.
Rollins isn’t marketed as a commuter school, let alone a suitcase school at all for that matter. But you might start to notice the wealthier kids head out for small getaways or more elaborate fall break extravaganzas. Stick around all three days of the Rolly Colly weekend and I almost garauntee you won’t want to miss another one again. There’s lots to do in Florida, especially when so many students were raised here and have places you can crash. But what’s more fun than that? Staying up late with your crew, grabbing drinks on park ave, laughing at the pool and gettin’ your tan on. When else can you do that?