Everyone who referred to high school as, “the best four years of your life,” was sadly mistaken and you should question their judgement from here on out. College is awesome, but a lot of it has to do with what you make of your time here. Fortunately, you’re coming to an awesome school that really cares about its students and their success. We aren’t perfect, but at the end of the day, we’re proud to be Profs

As a college freshman, you are basically clueless. This is not a suggestion; this is a fact. You don’t know half of the things you think you know. Here are a few things about coming to Rowan I wish I knew before move in day:

Yes, it will be hot: Introducing your third (or in some cases fourth) roommate and new best friend: the window fan. Pick up one of these before you pick up that super cute bed-in-a-bag set from Target. You might also want to bring a desk fan to aim at your bed at night, too. There is no doubt about it, it will be hot. But fortunately there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is mid-September. In other words, you’ll sleep on top of your brand new comforter for the first of couple weeks, but then, I promise you, things cool down. Besides, you shouldn’t be in your room for more than sleeping and changing, anyway. It IS your first month of college, get out there and…

Get Involved: You’ve been hearing this since high school, how important it is to get involved with your school. Unfortunately, this is one of those instances when your parents/guidance counselor/older sibling were completely correct. Attend at least one club meeting. Try out a class at the Rec (I recommend Cycling, but you’ve been warned). See what the SGA and senate meetings are all about. Bottom line: Do something. There really is a club out there for every single interest you could possibly imagine. From Greek Life (yes, even though we aren’t a huge state school, we still have a pretty awesome Greek community) to sports clubs and teams to academic clubs and so much more. When you join these things, you meet more people. And when you meet more people, you make new connections and those connections turn into friendships. And not for nothing, being an expert Netflix binge-watcher does not look as good on a resume as one might think. So get out there.

Wear your key around your wrist: It is an unspoken rule at Rowan that you never wear the lanyards they give you during welcome week around your neck. Do they get the job done? Sure. But the only time you see students wearing them is on Halloween - just being honest. Senior tip for you all: girls, tie your key to a hair tie and wear it as a bracelet. Guys, the lanyard type key chain is okay, just keep it in your pocket or backpack, not around your neck.

You will rearrange your room:On move-in day, everyone goes crazy when setting up their room; moving the wardrobe to the corner and the desk by the window and the bed lofted over there - it’s exhausting and, honestly, a lost cause. You may think you and your roommate have found the perfect set up for the optimal floor space, but, odds are, two weeks in (probably at 11:00 PM), you’ll both have a new idea of how to set up your room with even more room for activities and end up begging your neighbors to help your move your dresser...

Willow and Magnolia are identical twins: If you’re placed in Willow or Magnolia, make sure you remember where your own dorm is. I cannot tell you how many times I watched students try to use their key at Willow when they lived in Magnolia. (Sure, alcohol may or may not have been involved in several of these scenarios, but still...)

You don’t need to be best friends with your roommate: This is often the exception, not the rule. Your roommate is not someone you need to be best friends with, but they are someone you need to, at the very least, get along with. You will be coexisting with this person for the next 8-9 months, so be courteous when it comes to alarms, room temperature, inviting visitors and sharing or not sharing food. Respect their space and they will respect you.But, that being said, it is really cool if you do become best friends with your roommate (speaking from experience). No matter what, if you end up being besties or not, you will always have freshman year with them.

Your RA is your friend: Yes your RA is there to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing, but they can also be a great friend and ally. For starters, they know at least a little bit more about campus and student life and can give you advice if you need it. Second, they are there to help you, so reach out to them if you ever feel like you need help with anything, from coping with being on your own to your bio lab homework. Just don’t call them, drunk, at 2 AM and ask them to let you in because you just can’t find your key. They really hate that.

Please know how to do your laundry: There are no cleaning ladies that come collect the laundry and return it to your door when it is clean. Nope, you have to take the time out to have a laundry day (usually when you are on your last pair of clean socks and or underwear). It is very simple: clothes in, soap in, quarters in. So, grab your quarters, some homework and your laptop and head to the student center and get to it.

Sync your Rowan Email to your Smartphone ASAP: Your Rowan email address will be the most important email account you have for the next four years. Your professors use it, the administration uses it, the bookstore uses it. It’s just all-around important to have easy access to. That being said…

Read (or at least skim) the Rowan Announcer: Once you sync your Rowan email account, every day (sometimes twice a day) at around midnight you’ll receive the “Rowan Announcer,” which is basically what it sounds like. The Announcer describes what is going on that week on campus – from special events and guest speakers to fun activities on and off campus. There is a bulleted list at the top of each email which says what exactly is in each edition and, at the very least, you should skim it to see if anything interests you.

Try all the foods: Rowan has a lot of different food options and it is very important to try everything at least once. For example, I waited till my junior year to try the Mexican place in the food court and I now harbor six semesters worth of regret because it’s so good. Try everything and mix it up. And, when in doubt, you can always get a “Road Cone” from the caf. (*Road Cone: a make your own ice cream cone to take with you as you leave.)

Leave your dorm door OPEN: Not only will this help with air flow, it will help with your social life. Leaving your dorm room door open lets the people in your hallway walk past and see what you’re up to without being nosey. Another senior tip: I met some of my best friends because we all left our doors open freshman year and just started hanging out and talking together. Again, this can also be the exception to the rule, but, at the very least, you can find a neighbor to walk over to the caf or the Rec with you.

Utilize the dorm lounge: Every floor has multiple small lounges with tables and couches, and every building has a main lounge with a TV and more couches and tables. Use them! Have a building movie night, watch "American Horror Story" every week together, have a study group during finals. Use the lounge. A lot of residents don’t even know it’s there.

Invest in a Brita pitcher and reusable ice cubes: There will be times when you have nothing in your fridge but water and ice. Using a Brita and plastic ice cubes is the perfect way to always have, at least, water and ice. The Brita refills with sink water, so you don’t have to waste valuable floor space on a case of water. The reusable ice cubes save room and mess in your freezer and are perfect for plastic water bottles.

Go to RAH (Rowan After Hours) at least once: The Office of Student Activities plans a ton of great events including RAH or Rowan After Hours. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at the student center, they host everything from movie night to game show night to craft night and it’s all for free. And that’s not even the best part; the midnight food bar, which is also free, is. Senior tip: in college, anything with “free” and “food” in the title is an automatic yes.

Be Safe: Freshman year brings out a lot of different sides of a lot of different people. No matter how you spend your free time, be safe while you do it. College is such an amazing privilege and experience. Do not take any second of your time on campus for granted. Be safe. Be responsible. Be Smart.

The freshman dorms are the single best/worst places: You will grow to have a love/hate relationship with your freshman dorm room. It is inevitable. You will make some of your first and also some of your greatest college memories in your freshman dorm, so enjoy every minute of it.

Scratch that. Enjoy every minute of every semester because before you know it, you and the girl down the hall, the guys from Magnolia Hall, the kid from your English class and your sorority sister are ... well, here. *sobs* . Senior denial is almost as bad as senioritis, kids. Remember that.