Three Things I Should’ve Known, But Didn’t
Attending my first year of college during a pandemic did not prepare me for what my future years of experience would look like. I knew I missed out on a bunch of the UW-Madison Experience my freshman year, and there were things that people might normally learn as a freshman that I didn’t figure out until this year. The tips I have learned may be small and unexpected, but I hope these stories can help you no matter what grade you’re in.
1. THERE IS A FREE BUS SYSTEM
On the first day of in person classes, I woke up a little nervous for what was to come. My first class was at Ingraham Hall, a building right on top of the dreaded Bascom Hill. I’ve heard how horrible it was, but never truly experienced it myself; I assumed people were being dramatic. Five minutes later I was walking into the classroom trying not to breathe heavily behind my mask. This pattern continued for just under two weeks until I saw people getting onto this bus right in front of Memorial Union. One day I was passing right as the bus had stopped so I decided to give it a try. Little did I know, it takes you all the way up Observatory Drive and drops you off at the top of Bascom Hill! Ever since, I have not walked up that hill. So if you’re just as lazy as me, look up the UW Madison Bus Schedule and find your nearest pick up location. It’ll save you so much sweat and time!
2. DON’T GET TO FOOTBALL GAMES TOO LATE
As I attended my first Badger football game as a sophomore, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The day of, my friends and I woke up early to have time to get to the 11am game. We were having so much fun at tailgates, we didn’t make it to the game until after noon. By the time we got there, sections J-N were already taken. We didn’t know the difference so we grabbed our section P tickets and made our way through. The line was absolutely insane and we wound up in the very last row. We still had a great time, but the game is a little less exciting with four police officers breathing down your neck. Never again will we show up that late! AND try to make it to Jump Around; you won’t be disappointed!
3. YOU CAN’T USE CASH AT BADGER MARKET
The first week of classes I noticed that multiple buildings around campus have a Badger Market located inside and they only take credit cards or Wiscards due to the pandemic. Unknowingly I hopped in line, ordered an iced coffee, panini, and fruit. The cashier gave me my total and I handed her a $20 bill. She looked at me confused and said, “We only accept cards here,” and pointed to the large sign right in front of my face. Now, I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but in that moment I truly felt like a freshman with the line of people behind me.
Overall, going into sophomore year post pandemic was not ideal. I really didn’t realize all the little tips and tricks I missed out on because of the pandemic. There were many days where I struggled and felt embarrassed. But now that we’re a few months in, I feel much more confident. Hopefully this collection of tips saves some embarrassment for others, no matter where you’re at in your college experience.