College is an incredible place. You learn so much about life in such a short period of time and meet people you never thought you'd meet. But, just like every other college, Tulane is a little different, and, in my humble opinion, better, than any place you've ever experienced. And with those differences, I've come up with some tips/advice for you incoming freshmen that I asked myself when I was in your shoes. This list will definitely help out with your transition to this new world of witchcraft and wizardry (Disclaimer: Tulane is not Hogwarts... We're working on it, though).
1. You will get sick.
I'm not exactly sure why it happens, but whenever school starts there is always a rapid case of some disease going around. I believe it's your body adjusting to the new environment. The best way to avoid this is by stocking up on medicine before it happens. I recommend buying NyQuil, DayQuil, Cold-eeze, and Emergen-C. That really helped me get through my cold when I first arrived on campus.
2. Yes, you should go on the riverboat cruise.
Every year there are groups of people that think that the cruise is a bit of a scam (and in a way it is), but you really don't want to form a group of friends and find out that you're the only one who didn't buy a riverboat cruise ticket. While it is just another expense, it's also a really awesome way to get closer to your new group of friends or to meet new people and get closer to them.
3. The Explore Program.
Should you do it? Well, the answer is yes and no. It's crazy expensive for Tulane to charge you extra for this program when most of the things on it you'll discover about Tulane and New Orleans yourself. But, the benefits of it are also good. For me, it's not about which program you do, it's the friendships you form from it. My roommate did The Greenie Camp explore program and he was friends with the people in it for the whole year. Although that was one case, don't go in expecting that. I know people who never spoke after the explore program too, but were just friendly, so there is also that. Additionally, a huge plus is moving in early. You get to pick your bed before your roommate and, depending on how your room is set up, that can make all the difference. My roommate did this to me and took the window bed while I got the one with no backing. I was fine - I survived - but just be warned, in some rooms there are good beds and bad beds.
4. Research before picking classes.
While you will be picking classes and hearing about how it works during orientation, I highly recommend looking up the best teachers for the classes you know you have to take (i.e. Who's the best teacher for chemistry if you're pre-med?). This can be done by searching for those classes on the Schedule of Classes page. You can find out the best professors by asking around or by searching the Rate My Professor website. Also, registration for classes opens up at 8 a.m. on the second day of your orientation, so if you really want the best professors, I recommend signing in at 8 a.m. and registering before the class becomes full.
5. Be open to meeting new people and to different points of view.
At Tulane you'll meet people of different religions, different sexualities, and different views on life. While you may encounter people that have views you don't support, it is important to try to understand their perspective and find out more about it before you try shooting them down.
6. There is no longer a gap between grade levels.
One of the greatest things I found in college is that, in almost every class you take, you'll have people from different grades. There is no longer a division between grades like there is in high school. Some of the best people I met on campus were a year older than me. Heck, I even became friends with people who graduated this past year. There is no limit to meeting people on campus so don't be afraid to test it out.
7. Bruff.
Alright, it's not that bad. It's actually pretty good at first, but after a while you will get bored with the same old food. Sadly, as a freshman, the best option for you is to get the unlimited meal plan. While you may be annoyed that you only get so many swipes at the LBC, you'll be thankful when you find your friends going in just as you are going out and realize you have a few minutes to spare, so you swipe back in, and head back upstairs. It often becomes a hang out spot, just because it's where everyone living on campus has to eat at one point. And they are supposedly redesigning the food at Bruff for this upcoming semester so who knows, maybe you'll actually like it.
8. More food options.
So now that I've bashed Bruff I'm sure you're wondering where else you can eat. Human beings can't survive off Bruff alone, right? And of course you aren't expected to. Tulane has several options for food. There is, of course, the LBC where you can get food from many different fast food chains. But what most freshmen won't realize until a few weeks in, is that there are quite a few other places to eat on campus.
In the bottom floor of the LBC there is a restaurant called City Diner which is often where you'll find people late at night after Bruff closes. Its hours run the opposite of Bruff so you'll never go hungry. While the food isn't the best, it's a cure for that late night snack. There is also Le Gourmet -- a bit nicer, higher quality restaurant on Tulane's campus. Its location across the street from Bruff make it easy access for any student. One hidden gem most freshmen don't find until they have an architecture friend in their group is The Orleans Room, which is also commonly dubbed "Luff." It is the dining hall of Loyola and accepts the same meal plan as Bruff. It is located right behind the architecture building so it is very easy for architecture students in the Academic quad to sneak over.
Lastly, one place that always has great food is the Tulane Hillel. While you may not be religious or even Jewish, you won't deny that the food at Hillel's Kitchen is likely the best on campus. The food there is locally grown so the cost is up compared to other places to eat but, in my opinion, the hike in price is far worth it. Everything on the menu tastes great and the smoothies are fantastic. So, when you get tired of Bruff, remember that you have options on campus.
9. Fraternities and sororities.
As many of you may already know, fraternity and sorority rush does not take place until Spring semester. For Sorority Rush, what happens is you come back a few days early in the Spring and begin rush events. For guys, rush takes place two weeks into second semester. For girls, there is nothing you can do early to prepare except maybe try to meet some upperclassmen in sororities and get an idea for which one you want to join before rush. For guys though, rush is very different. You do most of your socializing in the Fall and rush is simply a formality where the brothers of a fraternity confirm that they want to give you a bid. For guys, you will get a list of dry rush events on campus throughout fall semester. If you want a fraternity to like you and consider giving you a bid, it is essential that you go to these events and try to make connections. The friendlier you are with the brothers, the better chance you have of getting a bid. At the end of a conversation with a brother, try asking if they have any other events besides the dry ones listed that you could go to. They'll likely exchange numbers with you and message you when they have other events. This'll greatly help your chances and allow you to make sure the fraternity is the right fit for you.
10. Newcomb Big Sister Program.
Since I feel like my previous tip was directed at guys, this tip is directed for the ladies. You will likely hear about this at orientation, or have heard about it if you already went, but there is a program called The Newcomb Big Sis Program where you can be paired up with an upperclassmen within the first few weeks of school and get a larger perspective of what the school has to offer while additionally getting some great advice from people who were in your shoes a year ago or more. I highly recommend this program to all girls. I have several friends who did this and stayed friends with their Newcomb Big all year long. It's a great program and gets you acquainted with the school really quickly.
11. Look before picking a dorm.
For this, I strongly recommend you look into every dorm and determine which one is right for you. There are several dorms a freshman can live in. Wall, Paterson, Monroe, Sharp, Butler, Greenbaum, and JL (girls only) are the main ones, but people occasionally get placed into Warren depending on the class size. Monroe and Sharp are known for being the party/social dorms. They both have communal bathrooms and the smallest living spaces on campus, Sharp being slightly smaller as it has twin beds rather than twin XL beds. Sharp has 7 floors and Monroe has 12.
Butler is the honors dorm and also the oldest. If you go to orientation you will be staying in Butler and can judge for yourself on living there. It is similar in style to Monroe and sharp as it is communal, but being the honors dorm, it is generally less crazy. Many students who put Monroe and Sharp down as their top choice living space occasionally get put in this dorm as it is very similar and Monroe and Sharp usually fill up. You cannot request this dorm first hand unless you are an honors student or are planning to live with an honors student.
Paterson is the environmental dorm and is pretty nice. Having only 3 floors, it is the smallest dorm on campus. There is a reason it is home to the model dorm you see on tours of the school. It is a much larger living space than Monroe, Sharp, and Butler, yet has the communal bathroom aspect of it, making it social and spacey as well as just a great overall place to live. Similar in aspect is JL, having a spacey set up in the room and a communal bathroom. Do not let the fact that it is "girls only" throw you off. Many girls live here and love it and if you live in Sharp, Monroe, Butler or Paterson, your floor will be separated by gender anyway. You can always bring in guys to the dorm and there are no real restrictions other than guys can't live there.
Wall and Greenbaum are both LLCs (Living Learning Centers) and you will have to apply to them/have already applied to live here. They are great dorms with your own personal bathroom and a lot of space, making them the largest living spaces for freshman available. They are by far the nicest dorms and occasionally less social than other dorms as they lack the communal aspect, but in what they lack in socialness, they make up for in closet space and clean bathrooms.
12. Mardi Gras essentials.
While this may be a little ahead of schedule (considering Mardi Gras isn't until second semester) it's still well needed on this list. I'm sure you've been wondering about how it goes down because, for whatever reason, ever since you decided to commit to Tulane everyone and their uncle has told you they will be visiting for Mardi Gras. To let you know exactly what Mardi Gras is for you non-Catholics like myself, Mardi Gras is another name for Fat Tuesday. It is the day before Lent and so, traditionally, a large celebration is held to get out all your sins before you give one up for a month. But now, in today's age, it is just a way for New Orleans to go crazier than usual for a few days. Mardi Gras is essentially six days long, starting that Thursday and going through the weekend to Tuesday. As you'll hear a lot, Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't rush it. Many will struggle with this but don't let that person be you. Every year during Mardi Gras the weather decides to flip on us so bring some heavy jackets or you might just freeze.
13. The Boot.
Don't get me wrong, it's kind of fun for a little while. But then you realize how crowded it is and how much fun you're not having there. Sure, the excitement of meeting new people is fun and hooking up can be fun too... But too many times have I heard stories of people running into that boy or that girl they hooked up with at The Boot in Bruff the next day. As if somehow you were magically expecting that person to just vanish from the Earth and to never see them again. You're going to see that person again. Be smart about your decisions and what you choose to do.
14. Office hours are important.
That essential part of college you've heard so much about. To be honest, for some professors you'll need to go to them, and for some you won't. They can't hurt and even if you never feel like you need to go to them, it's always nice to go to at least one so the teacher might actually learn your name. While most classes aren't so big that this happens, your basic introductory classes (Chem, Bio, etc.) will require you to do this. Just make sure you have a question to ask before you go in. You'll get the grind if you waste your professor's time and it might actually make you look worse than not having gone in at all.
15. It's going to rain.
While this seems like simple advice for most, there are always a few people that think it's never going to rain and that they can survive it without the essentials. Let me tell you now: It is and you aren't. There was a point last semester where the entire Academic quad was knee deep in water. Think you can manage to walk to class in flip flops with no umbrella? Think again. Get rain boots, get a waterproof jacket, and get an umbrella. Some advice not commonly given: buy some of those disposable plastic ponchos. They're great when rain jumps out of nowhere to keep in your backpack or when you're wearing a suit or a dress and it starts to rain.
16. Be you.
At this new point in your life it is so important to be who you are and not what you want others to see you as. In a world where everyone is trying to figure out who they are and who they want to become, being honest to yourself and to others is the surest way to be happy and to be successful in what you accomplish at Tulane.
As a wise man by the name of Dr. Seuss once said:
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
Best of luck in the days ahead and I look forward to seeing all your new smiling faces on campus this Fall.
