Homecoming. The one event you know is almost considered a holiday here. However, it wasn’t all fun and games- especially when you have only been a college student for a little over a month. We all faced some serious struggles this weekend, but us freshman had no idea what we were in for.
“Uh… Where Am I?
You turn around for one quick second and next thing you know- all your friends have left you. Immediately, you start to panic but good thing we all have cellphones. Little did you know, there is NO service in the middle of this huge field. Looks like you’re not finding your friends anytime soon. Not to mention, everyone suddenly looks the same. If you plan on enjoying homecoming with your BFFs, you better meet up with them before the tailgate. Otherwise, there is no way you’ll be finding them anytime soon.
“What the hell do I wear?”
No freshman wants to embarrass themselves so figuring out what to wear was extremely difficult. Girls take long enough to get ready as it is when they actually have an outfit planned- nevermind when they have to empty out their closets to find one shirt. Trying to find the perfect fall outfit for homecoming was nearly impossible. Nobody knew if you were supposed to be decked out in UNH gear or if it was lame to buy the pawprint stickers from the bookstore to put on your face and it didn’t help that none of your friends knew what to wear either. You assumed you would just wear the Homecoming 2015 shirt you preordered but was unsure if that was just another lame freshman thing. The struggle was ultimately real when it came to finding an outfit to wear until you just decided to be basic and go with your usual vest, leggings and of course- Bean Boots.
“I need a nap.”
Even at 8 am, the campus was up and ready to get the day started. Except nobody told the freshman to get their rest the night before. At first, the excitement of homcoming was too real to care how early it really was (because let’s be real, who voluntarily wakes up at 8 am on a Saturday morning). It wasn’t until you were walking home from the football game that it hit you. You so desperately needed a nap. Since being here, your sleeping schedule has been so different from high school and you’re used to getting in your 8+ hours of sleep with an average of 2-3 naps a day. But not today- there was too much you could miss out on if you stayed in bed. So after the football game, you go back to your room to change for a night out with your friends but just for a minute- you lay down in bed to relax. Next thing you know it’s the middle of the night and all of your friends have left without you. Bed it is.
“I have to wait in this line?”
Maybe getting to the tailgate an hour after the gates opened wasn’t the best idea. The excitement of the unknown was too real- until you realized you would have to wait another half hour after you even got to the Field House. As if the waiting wasn’t bad enough, you’re being pushed in every single direction possible. It was too early to deal with this many people at once (especially since coffee was not the drink you started your day off with). You thought maybe once you actually made your way in, the lines would end and the people would calm down… But you were wrong. If you wanted to pee, forget about it. Try the woods or hold it in-because the lines for the porta potty were something else. On a real note though, what girl wants to use the porta potty anyways.
“What even is homecoming?”
One question I heard too much the past few weeks. Of course, being a freshman, I couldn’t come up with a response. I had NO idea what to expect, and no upperclassman to give me some idea of how this weekend would end up. There were so many questions like were there any other homecoming events besides the tailgate and the football game, and what do people do after the football game? Talk about an overwhelming Saturday. Anyways, we all survived. At least I hope so.