Incoming Freshmen

Dear incoming freshman,

I have been given the honorable duty of giving you advice on how to handle your first year of college, a responsibility for which I have dubious credibility, being myself not a very good student.  However, I have been told I give very good advice, so here we go!

First thing is roommate selection, as it can make or break the living experience, and therefore the college experience, for many people.  Obviously, there isn't much to say about random roommate selection; it's a craps shoot without a doubt, but there isn't much you can do except hope for the best and change roommates if it doesn't work out.  However, there is much that can be said about rooming with someone you already know.  It can be a very bad idea.  Try to gauge not just how good a friend your potential roommate is, but what traits they have, and I mean ANY traits, that get on your nerves.  You have to decide if you will be able to live with those.  Unfortunately, I have seen multiple times where living together ruined friendships.  Essentially, you just have to be careful, because you don't want living together to interfere with a good friendship, but if you think you will be able to survive living with someone you know, go for it!

Second thing is, be open to socializing with your floor, assuming you live in a dorm (which, if you are a freshman, you pretty much have to).  Living in a dorm is a great opportunity to make friends, and while you will surely meet and socialize with people in classes and in whatever clubs you may choose to attend, you can never have too many!  Leave your door open if you are comfortable with it, walk around and introduce yourself to everyone!  If you live on a floor with a specific designated major, the people on your floor can be a great help with studying or projects, because they have often either already gone through it, or are going through it with you.

Finally, the most important thing is to relax!  College is indisputable a big change from high school, and for legitimate and important reasons, it can be very intimidating.  You need not be afraid of it, though, if only because you made it this far, and this proves you are ready for it.  It can be hard at first to live away from your parents, as it creates alot of personal responsibility and freedom.  But, to put it in perhaps less appropriate terms, you survived all the bullshit of high school.  You survived the teachers, the homework, the tests, and the drama.  You passed the tests and you got accepted!  You have proven to this college that you are ready to experience it, so don't be afraid of it!  Embrace it and have fun; take it as a fun new experience, and you will do great!