Welcome Week is a whirlwind. Even though there are tons of people there to help and answer questions for you, there may still be some questions you have that go unanswered. For me there were tons of questions that didn't get answered in enough detail and I was still confused about and there were things I had to learn on my own. I'd thought I'd share a few of the things I wish I had known when I was first starting out as a freshman.

1. Your first semester is probably going to be a little rough.

Transitioning to college is a huge adjustment for everyone. Leaving your home, family and old friends. Making new friends and adjusting to a new environment. Living on your own and having to be more responsible. It's tough for everyone. Classes, homework, clubs, friends, eating and sleeping can be hard to balance. Some people adjust to college easier and quicker than others. If you have a bad first semester HPU will help you. Your success coaches and professors are there to guide you through an academic struggles, student life and your RA are there to help with any living situations and there are a ,lot of there resources you can use if you need other kinds of help.

2. Be yourself.

In high school, people are pressured to fit into a certain group of people so they act a certain way to fit in. College gives people the freedom to be who they truly are. There are lots of different types of people at HPU. Be yourself and you’ll be able to make friends in no times.

3. Make friends as soon as you can (but don’t get discouraged if it takes some time).

During welcome week, everyone is new, so making friends should be relatively easily. Don’t be afraid to sit down with a stranger when you go to dinner, talk to the people in your hall or say hi to someone you pass by on the way to class. I made my first group of friends during the first night I moved in. But, for other people it might take a little longer. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t make many friends the first few days (or even weeks of school). Just make sure you’re putting yourself out there.

4. Know that your friend group is likely to change.

During welcome week you’ll meet a bunch of people. Some of them you won’t even remember the next day while others will become your best friends. But, your friend group is likely to change at least once during your freshman year. I pretty much guarantee it's bound to happen. If it doesn’t happen during first semester it probably will once you get back from winter break.

5. You may or may not be best friends with your roommates or suitemates.

When I first moved in I tried really hard to be friends with my roommates. But, I started making other friends and spent less time with my roommates and at first I felt bad but then I realized it was okay. Just because you live with someone doesn’t mean you have to be best friends with them. Just do your best to get along with them. If you do have problems with your roommates or suitemates make sure you let them know. If that doesn’t help talk to your RA and/or student life. If it becomes really bad they will find a new room/roommate for you.

Side note: If you are going to be living in Belk, don’t expect it be a 24 hour quiet and substance free dorm like it’s supposed to be. It’s not. It’s actually pretty much the opposite, or at least it was when I lived there. Also, living in a suite with 7 other people can be really tough especially if some people clash with others. I switched out of Belk and into blessing after first semester and had a much better experience.

6. Keep in touch with your friends and family back home... but don’t rely on them too much.

It’s hard leaving your friends and family back home.. Keep your friends and family back home aware of how you are doing It’s okay to call and text them but, make sure you aren’t spending too much time talking to be people back home. If you spend too much time talking to your old friends you will miss out on making new friends. Try and limit your calls/FaceTimes to your family to one a week. You will probably lose contact with a lot of your old friends and that’s okay.

8. Get Involved on campus.

There are tons of activities to do on campus. HPU has a lot of different clubs that fit any interest you might have. These clubs include, SGA, International Club, English Club, clubs for different languages, clubs for education majors, a diversity club and plenty of other clubs. If you’re joining to join a religious club there are tons of Christian clubs (including College Life) and also a Jewish (Hillel) organization. There are also tons of honor societies, service and learning clubs and Sororities/fraternities. You can rush a frat or sorority after first semester.

You can also join an intramural or club sports team and if there isn’t a team for a sport you want to be apart of, it's easy to start your own.There are also several volleyball and basketball courts on campus and even a lap pool. You can easily find something you are interested in doing on campus or if not, it is pretty easy get a club, organization or team started.

9. College classes (for the most part) are harder than high school, sorry about it.

Don’t expect classes in college to be like they were in High School, they aren’t. Most classes require more work than high school classes. You will have more homework. The material will be harder and more in depth. If you miss a test or an assignment, your professor probably won’t let you make it up or give you an extension.

There might be some professors willing to work with you if you miss an assignment or test but, a lot of professors will say too, "you should have been here.” On a similar note, some professors make essays and assignments due on days you don’t have class, which for me was hard to adjust to at first.

10. Don’t be afraid to talk to professors.

At first professors will seem scary and hard to talk to. But, most of them aren’t. They want (or at least they should) want you to succeed and are willing to help make sure you get a good grade. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand in class even if you think you have a “stupid question”. Someone else might have the same question. All professors have office hours if you need to talk to them privately. As long as you do your homework and pay attention in class, most professors are nice, open and willing to help you succeed.

11. You have two free "skip" days.

There are going to be days that you don’t feel like getting out of bed (like in the winter when it cold and snowy) or it’s just too nice out and you don’t feel like going to class. If you are late, some professors count it as an absence if you are late a certain number of times. It's your decision if you decide to skip a class but, at HPU you only get to skip a class twice and after that professors contact your success coach.If you continue to skip a class, you could be in danger of being dropped from that class. There are no excused absences so even if you are truly sick, it still counts against you unless you have a doctors note. Some professors are more lenient than others, but don’t make a habit of being late or absent.

12. If you're struggling in a class, get a tutor.

I know there is stigma to getting a tutor and you may feel like you’ll be judged if you get one. But, tutors actually help a lot. At HPU tutors are free. If you do decided to get a tutor, you work with them for an hour once a week. Even if you are doing well in class, it might be a good idea to get a tutor to get ahead in the class, or just get a little extra help. But, get a tutor sooner vs. later because some classes have limited tutors available.

13. Find your own study spot.

There are tons of places on campus to study both outside and inside. I suggest choosing a time and place to study that you plan to keep throughout the semester. The library and learning commons are obviously two very common places to study and they can often become crowded. Slane and the Bakery (located in UC) are also popular places to study. Cottrell (the newest building on campus) is probably the most popular and crowded place to study. There are tons of study rooms and quiet places to study but, those spots fill up quick. There are also people who keep their stuff in certain place all day even if they aren’t in that place studying.

14. Have fun, but not too much fun.

College is about studying and working hard, but it's also about having fun. There is tons to do on and off campus. One of those things, if you choose, is to party. But, if you choose to party, be careful. Don’t let drinking and partying take up all your time. Leave time to do homework. Don’t spend all weekend in bed with a hangover. It’s easy to lose control and drink too much, ending up with a bad hangover or worse. HPU does have an amnesty policy (meaning you won’t get so don’t be afraid to call 911, your RA or student life if you think someone needs medical attention. You won’t be penalized (unless it's a recurring theme). If you do get caught with alcohol and there isn’t any medical problems your Passport will be swiped. The first time you won’t get in too much trouble but if you keep getting caught you will be faced with consequences. All freshman dorms are technically substance free but, if you are caught with illegal substances in a Belk or York, you will automatically be kicked out of the dorm and forced to move somewhere else.

15. Don’t feel pressured to go to parties.

In college a lot of people (okay, pretty much everyone) parties. But, there are a lot of people who don’t. If you aren’t someone who parries don’t feel like you have to go out to parties and drink. If you feel like you have to drink and party to fit in: don’t. There are tons of people who don’t party and stay in to watch Netflix or just hang out. This kind of goes back to number two and three, But be yourself and find like-minded people. If you aren’t really a partier but, want to try it out that’s okay too. Just be careful and don’t do anything you don’t really want to do.

16. Be prepared for Derby Day.

Since we’re talking about parties and drinking, there is one day in particular that is a big day for drinking: Derby Day. Derby Day is an annual tradition at HPU that happens the first Saturday of after classes start for the year. It’s a day where there is lots of free food (the corn is really good) and events (Like blow up obstacle courses). For most people it's also a day full of drinking. People drink from 6 am into the next day. Drink or don’t drink. Either way it will be fun. If you do decide to drink, again BE CAREFUL. And know that security tripled around campus.

17. The concerts are fun but can be hectic.

Each semester HPU hosts a concert. Some of the concerts in the past have been good artist and some haven’t. Even if the person performing is someone you like don’t expect the concert to be as good as it would be if it were an actual concert. Remember that it’s a complimentary concert and the preforms aren’t getting paid that much. That being said, if you go in with a good attitude, you will have a good time. Keep in mind that there will be

18. There are tons of activities during the week and on weekends.

Need a break from studying or looking for fun things to do with your friends? HPU offers a lot of activities. On certain days during the week the shuttle can take you to various locations around town (Cook-out, Blue Rock Pizza, Wal-mart and more). On weekends the shuttle goes to places farther away like The Friendly Center. HPU offers a various day trips throughout the semester like lazer tag, crosswinds and more. If you're looking to stay on campus, the cinema plays a movie at least three or four times a week. There also lots of activities that happen like Bubble Soccer. During finals week you can even play with dogs and get free food. HPU is basically like a resort that offers tons of activities to dot to keep you entertained. Every day Campus Concierge sends out emails that tell all about the upcoming activities and activities for that day.

19. Don’t lose your student passport.

Like the wristbands at Disney World, passports at HPU are the key to everything. It helps you get into buildings, pay for your meals, gets you onto campus and a lot more. Make sure you keep track of your passport because its a common thing to lose them. If you have to get a replacement it costs $50.

20. Take advantage of the gym.

Trust me when I say the Freshman 15 is real, especially at HPU where we have some really good dining locations, like Prime. High Point University has several gym locations on campus. Freshman can use the main gym at Slane (open until midnight) and there is also a gym for students that live in UC and UC2 (open 24/7). Going to the gym may be the last thing you want to do, (especially in the winter) but it's a good way to lose weight and relieve stress.

21. Go to 1924 Prime as much as you can.

I'm sure you've heard all about Prime. The food really is as good as they say it is. But, you can only go once a week and getting reservations can be hard. So I would try to get reservations as much as you can so you can go as much as you can (You can only go to Prime once a week). Getting Prime reservations is like trying to get concert tickets. If you go on to the prime website at least five minutes before midnight so you are on it right when reservations open, you have a better chance of getting them. Also, if you get a bunch of your friends to go on the site at the same time, one of you is bound to get a reservation time.

22. The Café isn’t as good as it is on special event days.

Sorry to break it to you but that really good food you ate at the cafe during Open House and Orientation isn’t served every day. In fact it’s only served on those special occasions (also including Parents Weekend). Actually, the cafe really isn’t that good. There are some good foods that are served from time to time at the cafe (like chicken parm and Mac and Cheese) But, for the most part the food sucks. It’s bearable from time to time, but I wouldn’t eat there all the time especially because there are a lot of other good dining options on campus (Like Chic-fil-a and the Point). Also, I don’t know how else to say this but, the cafe will give you what we call “Cafe Poops”. I’m sure you can figure out what that means. Just a fair warning.

23. Magic Meals versus regular meals can be confusing at first.

One thing that really wasn't explained to me clearly was how magic meals worked and how they differ from regular meals or dining dollars. There are four different dining plans.

• 19 meals per week with $25 Dining Dollars per semester
• 14 meals per week with $150 Dining Dollars per semester
• 10 meals per week with $250 Dining Dollars per semester
• 7 meals per week with $325 Dining Dollars per semester

All the plans cost the same. Here's a breakdown of how meals, Magic meals and dining dollars work:

Regular Swipes: can be used at The Cafe, The Farmers Market (or simply Farmers), The Grille, and Silver Line Diner (or just the diner). Farmers and The Cafe are all you can eat while a regular swipe at The Diner and Grille get you main course, a side and a drink (I'll talk more about these two in #24).

Magic Meals: can be used at The Point, The Gret Day Bakery (Also Know as The Bakery), Chic-Fil-a, Subway, PRIME, The C-store 2, Starbucks and Java Juice. A Magic Meal gets you a main dish, a side and a drink at all of the above places besides Starbucks and Java Juice where you can get any sized drink. Regardless of your dining plan, you can only use seven magic meals a week.

Dining Dollars: can be used at any of the above locations (besides PRIME). They can also be used at off-campus locations like Barberitos and Buffalo Wild Wings.

24. There are two off-campus dining locations.

One thing I didn't realize the first week of school was that there are two dining locations off campus.

The Grille: is located on the Village campus. It has pizza, burgers, sandwiches and tons more.

The Diner: Is located on North College campus and has burgers, hot dogs, Chinese food (which isn't that good), Mexican Food, and breakfast.

You can drive to these locations or take one of two shuttles, which brings me to #25.

25. There are two shuttles to get you to the other parts of campus.

It took me awhile to learn that there were shuttles and where the shuttles went. The shuttles come every 15 minutes or so and depart for a shuttle stop in front of UC. You can use the shuttles to go to off campus dining locations or to see a upperclassmen friend who lives on those campuses.

The Silver Line: goes to North College campus and you guessed it, The Silver Line Diner.

The Purple Line: goes to the Village campus (and the Grille) and U-ville (another off-campus housing community).

The Gold Line: Is for employees so don't get on it by accident.

26. For the most part, the staff is really nice.

One of the things I love about High Point is the amazing staff. Kandy (who works at The Point) is one of my favorite people working at HPU. She is always in a positive mood and will always strike up a conversation with everyone. There are plenty of other staff members you will get to know as well. But, there are some staff members (especially the C stores) who aren’t very friendly. But, those people are very rare. On the same note, Security can be very nice and sometimes even super lenient. But, it's a hit and miss. Some look the other way when they see people who are drunk or come across a party. Other’s will yell at you for simple things like having tape on your student I.D. or roasting marshmallows at the fire pits.

Freshman: Have any questions? Upperclassmen: Have any other advice? Don't be afraid to comment and share!