Dear Freshmen,

So, today is move-in day, and there are about 500 other people trying to get into your new home without dropping their stuff all over the lobby. You get on the elevator and press the button to go up to your floor. As people are taking forever to get off the elevator, you start to wonder why you chose to live on floor 10, the top floor. You step off the elevator and walk to your new room. On your way, you pass people in the hallway—little do you know that these people will become some of your closest friends.

Once you are fully settled into your new home, your RA calls a floor meeting. This consists of all the different procedures/drills that will happen throughout the year and those super awkward “get to know you” questions. As of right now, you are sitting next to complete strangers thinking, “This is so awkward, no one is talking. How will I ever get to know these people?” You have no idea how many late night bathroom talks or floor events you all will have.

So many memories were created here. Like that time when we made brownies in mugs and then got sick because we ate too much. Or each Monday night when the floor would get together to watch "The Bachelor" (and yell at Ben for the dumb choices he was making by giving Olivia a rose time and time again). And all those nights spent staying up late discussing boy problems when we should have been studying. The super cheesy, but amazing T-shirts we made for our floor that said “Welcome to the Penthouse.” And many more memories that would take too long to list.

I ask you to not take this floor, or your floormates for granted. The memories will be some of the best ones you will have freshman year. So, go to the floor events organized by your RA. They work really hard on these and want to get to know you! Take every chance you can to connect with people on your floor, because you won’t regret the friendships and connections you make.