So you've made it. You were accepted into Pace, you made your payments, and you registered and maybe already went to Orientation. You're officially a Pace Setter. So here, my dear Class of 2021, are 21 bits of wisdom I have to share with you that I learned my freshman year at Pace.

OSA is a part of Pace that students often dread dealing with. Whether it's for a grades issue, transcripts, account holds, etc. OSA deals with it all- meaning they are often backlogged with hundreds of student requests. Waiting in that line during common hour can more often than not seem endless.

TIP: don't go during common hour because they are more likely to be busy. Emails and online requests are an easy fix if you don't have the time to wait. Also, if you need something done by a certain time, try and get it done ahead of time because with that many students, there can be a few days' lag time.

What can I say about the elevators other than be prepared to be packed like sardines in elevators or take the stairs. Especially in the last few minutes before a class block, elevators are typically packed with people trying to rush to class and could take longer than walking. Also, people will complain if you're the person who goes up or down one flight (although we're all guilty of doing it at least once). Also, as any Maria's Tower Vet will tell you, on the rare occasion that the elevators run all the way up and down, those will be your favorite/least favorite days.

STARBUCKS. IS. PART. OF. YOUR. MEAL. PLAN. Enough said. No flex dollars required. But don't forget, if you spend all your money on Starbucks, you may run out of food money- so remember to eat too. I'm guilty of buying too many mugs and passion tea lemonades and running out of my meal plan, so be careful, Starbucks addicts- it's a blessing and a curse.

When it comes to the elevators and classes, there's a good chance you'll get confused at one point or another about the East side vs the West side. If your classes say W612, that's the west side, and obviously E312 is the east side. You can only switch sides on B if you cross the courtyard, or inside on 1 and 3 ONLY. East elevators (the ones by the cafeteria and library) take you to B (Security, The Bianco Room, The Courtyard), 1(The Caf, Club Lib, and the switch to the W side), 3 (Classrooms and the overpass to the W side), and 4 (Maria's Tower). The West side can be accessed by the elevators on the other side of the courtyard overpass on 1, the elevators surrounding the Student Union, and The elevators on 1 on the side by the entrance of One Pace Plaza. Those elevators take you to all classrooms and labs on floors 1-6 (including the 2^nd floor which can only be accessed by these elevators and has all lecture halls- LHN, LHW, etc. and the Honors lounge).

TIP: Be sure to check your schedules, because some classes may not be in the east or west wing. Some might not even be in One Pace Plaza. Although this is rare, some of your classes might be in Williams Street and if you're in PPA, there's a very good chance you'll have most of your classes in the PPA building on Fulton, so make sure to check your schedules to make sure you're in the right building.

There're a few things to say for this one. Your professors might never update any of your grades online and you might not see your actual letter grade until the end of the semester. You'll most likely get papers back though- my best advice is to download a grades app on your phone like "My Grades." You'll have to put in the weighted scale for each class, but you can at least input your grades yourself as you get them back if your professor doesn't update so you have some idea of what your grades/GPA are. The other option is to email your professor throughout the semester or go to their office hours to ask them how you're doing. And while you're downloading apps, download the MyPace Mobile and Blackboard app & turn on your notifications because some professors WILL update regularly and they can put homework or class updates on the app like if they'll be late, something you have to last minute print and bring to class, if class is cancelled, etc.

7. The First 'Thirsty Thursday' is the one really good night at TJsAh TJs, a (sort of) fond memory. That is where most freshmen are to be found the first few weeks/months after NYC Welcome Week. While it is the typical college spot, the novelty will wear off and you will look back at it as a symbol of when you were 'young and naïve', even only a few months later. Approach at your own risk.

My favorite days of the semester. Typically, near midterms and finals, Pace will have Therapy Puppy days where they bring in puppies usually owned by Pace staff and you can go to the library (something I commonly refer to as Club Lib) and you can play with and pet the puppies and have a stress-free study break during exams.

In college, we're all broke, there's no two ways around it. So something to take advantage of is anything that is FREE. Pace always has free food somewhere. Usually, if you're part of a student organization, they will have food at a meeting at one point or another. Also, Pace Spirit Ambassadors have #PaceThursdays when you can not only wear your Pace gear, but they'll usually be outside of the caf on Thursdays looking to scan your ID to enter you in a raffle to win free Pace gear. So be on the lookout for free stuff!!!! Also, pace.edu/tickets is where you can usually find discounted movie tickets, Broadway shows, Pace events, etc. that you can get stuff SUPER DISCOUNTED through Pace! Perks of that Student Activities Fee we all pay!!!

Anyone's going to tell you to get involved, but it really is the best way to meet new people on campus and become a part of something. Go to the Club Fair to meet student orgs you may be interested in, or go on OrgSync to look at the complete list incase there's some missing and get on their email list to find out about events and meetings going on around campus!

LaundryView is the most helpful thing I learned my freshman year. Doing laundry can take hours on occasion and you'll be waiting for dryers forever, especially if you do laundry on Sunday afternoons. You can select your building and the floor laundry room you want to look at and it's a (fairly accurate) way to see which machines are being used, saving you from toting up and down the building with your basket looking for an empty machine. TIP: It connects easier if your device is on Pace wifi.

I know Flex Dollars are great. How amazing is it that you can use your ID card to get Chipotle or Denny's?! But beware- just like how Starbucks can make your meal plan run out super quick if you're not careful, Your Flex Dollars are even fewer and they'll run out faster than you think. Grk and Chipotle twice a week sounds great until you're not even a month in and you're stuck restricted to eating only caf food. Save your 'get out of caf free card' for when you're really sick of the food later in the semester.

With Fulton Station just a few blocks from both dorms, the 2,3,A,C,4,5,and 6 will become like second nature. With those lines you have the city at your fingertips. Of course, with the cost of a 2.75 each way subway fare. Just always be on the lookout for changes in the way the subway runs because at night on the weekends are MTA's favorite times to do work on the lines and there's a pretty good chance that from 11:45 p.m. on Friday to Sunday night certain lines won't run, and if they do, not normally. Download a good subway app (my favorite is NYC Subway) to always be aware and look out for those white signs that tell you all the changes and plan accordingly because you don't want to be stuck uptown at 2 a.m. on a Friday night/Saturday morning with no clue how to get back because of the changes. Also, accept that you may end up accidentally going to the Fulton St station in Brooklyn at least once.

I know to some it may seem like the end of the world if you don't end up in the freshman dorm you hoped for, but your building really is what you make of it. Maria's has the ease of being in the same building as most of your classes, which means less travel time for class. It also is much nicer not to trek in the snow in the winter; you can go to class in shorts and a t-shirt while your classmates are in heavy coats. Maria's also has lounges on every floor, which has been known to make people who live there feel like more of a community (not to say that Broadway isn't a community - if you're social in either building, you're social. A building won't make you more or less social). You also don't have to clean the bathrooms (don't leave it a mess, but at least you don't have to clean a shower or toilet). We have wonderful, friendly custodians who come and clean the communal bathrooms- treat them kindly! 182 Broadway has more of upperclassmen feel, and each room has their own bathrooms. There is also the benefit of living in a triple if you were really hoping to live with two people and couldn't choose. Wherever you live, make the most of your building! You get out what you put in- so go all in!

Something you don't usually find out until after orientation is that there are Quiet Hours. That means that after 11 p.m. every day you can't be in the lounge (Maria's) unless you're quietly doing homework or out hanging out in the halls (either building). Even if you're totally silent. And RAs are strict with it and will document you if you're found out of compliance. That means you also can't be in your room screaming or blasting music after that time either, or an RA will come knocking because walls are thin and so are the floors/ceilings. The RA on duty will do sweeps throughout the night, so be wary of that. You'll learn more about it at your first-floor meeting.

Being at Pace and in the city is different from other schools because of how early they start prepping you for internships and jobs. The two things you'll hear about a lot is your resume and LinkedIn. Career Services has weekly Resume workshops to help you boost your resume and LinkedIn is basically a professional version of Facebook. So instead of posting your updates and pictures from your trip to Cancun, you would post all of your work history, student org involvement, and any volunteering you have done. It's a digital resume that includes everything you've done, even when it no longer fits on your paper resume. Who you know is everything in business!! LinkedIn is just makes networking and connecting with other students and business professionals easier.

The caf has many options, which later in the semester will feel like not enough, but there are a lot more than some schools offer. Their hours are posted and usually stay the same, except for weekends when the back half is open until 12 a.m. - That's right, LATE NIGHT PASTA! Look out around holidays and long weekends, though, there are usually signs (usually small, though) that say if the hours are changing for the long weekend or holiday, so be on the lookout. Also, during finals, there's a FREE midnight breakfast before the official first day for students up late studying!!!

The way a lot of things get done at Pace is through surveys. I'm sure at Orientation, someone (P.A.C.E. Board) probably came up to you with an iPad to take a survey for the Homecoming concert. Taking surveys like those are your voice at Pace. If there's ever a survey, I'd take it- that's the real way to be heard, and if you don't like something that Pace does, you can't do anything about it unless you voice your opinion when you have the opportunity to. Surveys are your best friend and they're usually really quick too!

Something else Pace does is the End of Course Surveys. It's your way to tell the administration what you thought of a course or a professor and have your voice heard. If you absolutely LOVED your professor and want them to teach more classes, you can write that. If you felt that your professor despite their efforts did not meet your educational needs, this is your chance to voice that opinion. If you really just liked a course and thought that the material was very interesting and that Pace should continue to offer it for future students, you guessed it, this is your chance. You are signed in, but you are only in the system as a number, so you are totally anonymous, and it does not affect how you are graded. What it does affect, is when you receive those grades. If you fill out the survey (even if you select 'I abstain from participating' on each survey), you receive your grades as soon as they are posted. If you don't complete the survey for a course or select the 'I abstain' button, your final grades are held where you can't see them for 2 weeks after the semester ends, so fill out those surveys to see your final grades sooner!

Seaport is a common Pace student spot. It's a fun place to go for impromptu photo shoots, hang out with friends, go to the top deck of the building at the pier to hang out on the grass, or just hang out on a warm day. It is also the place to go if you want to see a typical touristy NYC souvenir vendor that'll probably rip you off.

Three places to find Pace students at any time of day/middle of the night are side by side on Fulton: Little Italy Pizza, Papaya Dog, and McDonald's. Something for everybody and they're open 24/7. Little Italy Pizza even delivers 24/7 with no delivery charge, just a minimum. There's also a good chance that Postmates will become your best friend when studying for exams or on lazy days/nights in.

Above all, Pace has everything essentially at your fingertips here in New York City and this will be one of the best experiences you'll have this far. Welcome to Pace, Class of 2021. Enjoy everything NYC and Pace have to offer. There's nothing quite like it.