I can’t tell which one I was more excited for: my first game day as a freshman, or my last first game day as a senior. Both started out in similar fashions – waking up at 6am and getting a quick shower and bagel in before I adorned myself in any and everything maize and blue. By 7am, I would be bedazzled in blue eye gems, belted via fanny pack, and proudly wearing a bold Block M upon my cheek. Everything that followed would be a hazy blur of Kamchatka-filled tailgates, the occasional hot dog cart break, and frantic walks to the Big House to get to our seats on time. However similar these experiences might be, no matter what year you are as a student, their differences are truly even more astounding.
As a freshman, you have the same excitement for game day as the rest of your peers around you, but that excitement is intertwined with fear, confusion, and nervousness. I remember asking myself questions, like: where do I go to tailgate? Will I stay with my roommate the whole time? What do I wear to NOT look like a freshman? Where even is the Big House? Sure, your very first game day is always filled with newfound friendships, traditions, and, of course, mistakes, but by your senior year, you’ve got pretty much everything down to an art.
As a senior, you’ve already planned all your game day outfits since summer when you began crafting new tops, patch-adorned jean jackets, and homemade beaded chokers. As for tailgating, you and your friends have already mapped out the perfect game plan that gives you prime party time with as little walking/navigating time as possible. You’ve even added pit stops along the way from tailgate to tailgate for bathroom and drunchies breaks. As for the Big House, you’re no longer afraid to kick someone out of your assigned seat – after all, you ARE a senior – and honestly don’t mind if you party too hard to even make it to the game. You can find a friend’s house to watch the game on TV and order feta bread to.
Overall, there will always be acute similarities and wide differences between your first game day as a freshman and as a senior, but as long as you enjoy your time, then that’s how you create an everlasting memory of your college days.
Images courtesy of author