This week I found a journal I started during my first week of college. I opened the first page to find a list of things I learned during my first day of college. At first, I laughed at myself, then read it to my friends who also laughed. I thought maybe this could be some good advice for future college freshman. So laugh and learn with me through my first day as a college student.
The top of the page reads:
Recommended for you
"August 21, 2015"
"First Day in College"
Then I continued to inform future me (and I guess now future you):
"I've been here since 8:00 AM and it is now 11:13 PM, so I guess I gained experience. Here are the things I've learned thus far:"
1. "Periods in college SUCK!"
Future me seconds that point from first-day-of-college-me. Ladies, be prepared. Find out what works for you and stick with it. It was apparently the first thing I learned in college, so good luck!
2. "Showers are no fun."
I can't remember what made me think this -- I never had a terrible bathroom experience. Maybe the whole showering with shoes on thing made me a little salty. Please always wear shoes to the community bathroom.
3. "You can't make your room cold."
This never goes away either. If your building has central air and heat, you do not have much control over your room temperature. I love a nice cool room, but the only way that happens is when you keep your window open when there is a cool breeze.
4. "There are friends for everyone in college. There are even friends for the kids who still play Yugio."
I cannot remember any people playing Yugio, but I guess the memory got lost with the whirlwind of orientation. It is true though, there are friends for everyone. I have met some of the best friends that I have ever had in college. They could be your roommate, your neighbor, or your neighbor's peer group friend.
5. "Do not wear sandals for orientation. My feet hurt."
I remember this very clearly. Orientation includes a lot of walking, thus wear the proper footwear. The sandals look cute, but they are not cute during a campus wide scavenger hunt.
6. "The kitchen is gross."
Bring your own cooking wear if you want to cook or bake. There is a weird film over most of the stuff in the community kitchen. The dish fairy does not come to your house and it does not come to campus either. Please wash your dishes. Your neighbors will thank you for it.
7. "It is acceptable to wear your robe and shoes to the shower."
-I was very unsure about the shower process at first. Learn from my experience, this is acceptable and most people do it.
Although #7 was the last point in my journal entry, I have one more piece of advice for you as you take on your first week of college as well.
8. Everyone is in the same boat as you.
Don't worry about not making friends. It will happen. You are not being weird for asking too many questions or asking people to go to dinner. Everyone is new and nervous too. Be yourself, have fun, be safe and enjoy every second.
Good luck! You got this!!
