Freshman year of college: the only time of your life where blacking out 4 times a week and sporadically gaining fifteen pounds will ever be acceptable. As this semester comes to a close, freshman girls campus-wide are approaching their last chances to live out that defining freshman year moment. If you need some tips, we’ve composed the University of Michigan’s own “Freshman Year Bucket List”.
Hook-up with a basketball player.
The University of Michigan Men’s Basketball team shocked the world by advancing to the National Championship in the NCAA Tournament. Since their return home, these student-athletes have been catapulted into their (hopefully longer) fifteen minutes of fame. Known faces such as Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mitch McGary have since been seen at local hotspots on campus (Skeeps, anyone?) and even the Michigan Spring Football Game. While the instagrams and muploads are impressive, hitting fourty-five likes isn’t much to brag about. Instead, out-do your peers and make some flirty moves towards these famous ballers. Don’t be shy! Approach them at the bar with a smile (and maybe throw in a hair flip!), because you’ll never know unless you try. If you’re able to snag some one-on-one time with any of these players, while other hopefuls stare in jealousy, be sure to go in for the kill. This will be one hook-up you won’t even mind telling your sports-fanatic dad about!
Eat all of the ultimate late night munchies.
Ann Arbor is home to many famous places and people. But, if this college town has one thing to boast about, it’s our selection of late night snacks. While I do not encourage daily consumption of these delectable treats, every freshman girl should try each of these “drunchies” at least just once! In light of Michigan Basketball, hail to what I’d like to call the Fresh(men) 15!
The Classic: Pizza House “Cheesy Bread”
With your choice of 4 dressings, the cheesy bread is 10 times better than the average pizza. There is nothing more satisfying than ordering a jumbo pie amongst your friends and leaving not even one piece to spare. If you want something different, you can try the equally delicious Feta Bread instead!
The Sweet Tooth: Insomnia “Cookie-which”
Insomnia Cookies is open to the latest hours of the night, serving it’s warm, amazing cookies to all those whose stomach start to grumble at 2:00 A.M. However, if the chocolate chip cookie just isn’t cutting it, one-up your average order and try the “Cookie-which”; two cookies of your choice with a scoop of ice cream in between. The combination of creamy ice-cream and melted cookie-dough is not one to pass up!
The Meat Lover: Jimmy John’s “The J.J. Gargantuan”
This monstrous sandwich will satisfy any late night hunger. It contains Genoa salami, capicola, smoked ham, roast beef, and turkey breast, all served between two fresh-baked slices of French bread. Top this sandwich off with provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo & Italian dressing, and prepare yourself for a post-Skeeps feast.
Spice It Up: Panchero’s Burrito
If you’re feeling risky after Rick’s or The Brown Jug, head down on South U to enjoy Ann Arbor’s late night Mexican cuisine. With any meat of your choosing, you can fill this burrito with as much beans and rice as your stomach can handle. If you can save some room, brace yourself for blue corn chips that can be covered in Panchero’s homemade queso, Mild Ancho salsa, or fresh-made quacamole!
Break into the Big House
While it may seem impossible, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Arguably the most iconic place on campus, the Big House is the epitome of our school’s spirit. What other way to show your spirit than to storm the field and sing the fight song, when the stadium is empty? If you can find a way to get past the fence (I suggest the standard hopping), make your way inside to run amongst the empty stands, and do your own victory dance in our touchdown zone. While a risky task, it will surely be the most epic story you’ll ever tell. And make sure to snag some proof! Because if you don’t take a picture, did you even do it at all?
Raid the Hide-A-Way
As the year comes to a close, and you can’t gather the might within you to swipe into Twigs or MoJo anymore, it’s time to put those dining dollars to use. Dining dollars will not carry over to next year. As such, there’s no sense in letting those $247.54 worth of Dining Dollars that you’ve barely touched go to waste. As a last “hoo-rah”, gather a group of friends and make your way to the Hide-A-Way, located in the basement of the Mary Markley dorm. Between the greatness that is the sweet potato fries, or the cartons of Ben and Jerry’s Red Velvet Cake ice cream, pile one of each food at the counter, and check off every box of the order sheet, and sample everything you never had the chance to! Amongst your friends, make a buffet in the hide-a-way seated section and invite this freshman filled dorm down to raid this hangout spot one last time.
Tell Your Best Guy Friend How You Feel
As a freshman girl, one of the highlights of this year was your exposure to a plethora of new boys, which certainly blew away the duds of your high school days. Welcome Week was filled with a million fresh faces, and these first few encounters defined the relationships between these boys for the entirety of your freshman year. Maybe the timing wasn’t right, perhaps you didn’t want a reputation of coming off too strong, or there was another girl in the picture, but at the end of the day, you missed the opportunity at that cute boy you met when you grabbed a cab home together, thrusting you into the friend-zone for what now feels like an eternity. You two have grown to be great friends, but the sexual tension is getting increasingly obvious, and if you catch each other in a mutual stare one more time, you may just lose it. I’m sure many of you can resonate, so it’s time to do something about it. Here’s your chance to put it out on the table. Rather than torture yourself for another three years, watching him with girls you deem unworthy, make a move yourself! If you’re fearful it could ruin your friendship, make it subtle enough to laugh off or blame on a few shots too many. Awkwardness may ensue, but the long summer break is the perfect amount of time to let pass to return to school in the fall and act just the same. If you go with your gut, I’m confident these feelings will be reciprocated. Who knows what will blossom! An epic story to cap off the roller-coaster ride of your freshman year…