We’ve all been there. Your freshman year's first day of classes can be intimidating: you don’t know where you are going, or you’re not sure what time to leave your dorm or even what supplies you should bring to class.

Here are some helpful tips of what not to do on your first day of classes in order to make the entire ordeal go a little more smoothly.

1. Do not dress up. USC pretty much has its own dress code. If you are a girl, you are wearing a frocket shirt and norts. If you are a guy, you are wearing a frocket shirt and khaki shorts. If you go around walking USC’s campus in high heels or a button down, you might get mistaken for a teacher but, more likely, everyone will be able to spot the freshman. Save yourself from being spotted as fresh meat the first day and wear more relaxed clothes -- you’ll be more comfortable. 

2. Do not wear high school t-shirts. I know I just told you to wear a t-shirt, but there is a big difference between wearing a regular t-shirt you got from USC and your favorite club organization shirt from your high school days. Leave those at home for your pajamas. 

3. Don’t wear your lanyard.  We all got that same lanyard at orientation. I still have mine, probably buried under piles of other things I haven’t seen since the summer before my freshman year. There is nothing more obvious than seeing a freshman wearing their Carolina Card around their neck on the first day of classes, just to make sure they don’t forget it. Sure, it might be convenient, but leave it in your wallet for the first day of classes.  

4. Don’t sweat tripping on the bricks.  The uneven bricks on campus are out, not only to get you, but even the upperclassmen. Yes, it can be embarrassing, but we have all been there. As long as you don’t fall face first and chip a tooth, you’ll be fine. Brush it off and keep walking to class; we will all probably trip right after you. 

5.  Don’t underestimate the importance of syllabus week. Syllabus week may seem like a big joke since all you’re mostly doing is printing out a piece of paper and quickly going over it, but that’s not always the case. I once had a teacher who wrote in the syllabus that we had to email him saying we wanted our first quiz grade in order to avoid getting a zero -- the only way to figure out you had to do this, of course, was by reading over the syllabus. Make sure you do it. It will save you time, in the future, and you will know what is expected of you in each of your classes. 

6. Don’t show up late.  If you walk into class out of breath, clutching Starbucks in your hand, you’re going to look like a hot mess. Make sure you wake up early enough to get your coffee, get to class, and choose your seat. Showing up late will probably result in you sitting right next to the T.A. for the rest of the semester, and let’s be honest -- none of us want that to happen.

7. Don’t ask too many questions. Asking questions that need to be answered are absolutely fine. However, don’t sit there rattling off a million questions before the professor has even had the chance to start going over the syllabus. It’s likely that he will answer all of your questions, if you just give him the time to speak.   

8. Bring a pen and paper. You will probably have to sign in, so make sure you bring something to write with. You might have homework, or need to write down your professor's email address and office hours, so make sure you bring something to jot important information on. 

The first day of classes is always scary for anyone first starting out at USC. Things will be intimidating, and you might get lost, but don’t worry about the small things. We have all had our very first day of classes, and in the end, you will look back and laugh.