Clarkson University, located in Potsdam, NY, has made quite a name for itself. Our engineering program is one of the best, our male to female ratio is one of the worst (if you ask the guys), and our location is the close to both Canada and the middle of nowhere. One of the programs that most people haven’t heard of is The Clarkson School (TCS). The Clarkson School is an early college entrance program that allows students to skip their last year of high school (some skip even more) and go to college early. Each year, Clarkson is home to a wonderful group of people that the greater Potsdam area refers to as “schoolies”.
This past August, Clarkson University became my new home and I became a schoolie. I came to Clarkson unaware of what it is like to be a schoolie. There are definitely a few things I wish I had known before I became a schoolie. If I could go back to August, these are the eight things I would tell myself and the rest of my schoolie class.
Before I begin, I would like to clarify that this is a personal reflection on my year as a schoolie. This is by no means what every single schoolie experiences. This piece is simply how I viewed my year at The Clarkson School.
1. You’re not going to be the only "normal" Schoolie.
My biggest fear before coming to Clarkson was that I was going to be the only “normal” schoolie. That was also the biggest fear of every single one of my school friends. For some reason, we all assumed that because schoolies are students who for whatever reason were ready to come to college a whole year early, they had to all be super out of the box and quite different from the friends we all had at home. What we failed to realize was how awesome some of The Clarkson School alumni are. Back in 2006 Kaitlin Monte, who was Miss New York 2011, was a schoolie! Yes, some schoolies are a little bit different from my personal friend group, but so are some of the other freshman. I'm sure I'm seen as quite weird to plenty of people thus they choose not to be close friends with me. Every schoolie I met was able to find their own group of friends that fit the social norms they were used to. You will meet plenty of people who are like you, and you will meet just as many who aren't.
2. It’s not worth lying about.
Everyone knows you’re a schoolie. Telling people you live in new dorms as a freshman because you're "in honors” is every schoolie's go-to justification for living in Schoolieville. I’m not going to lie, I definitely used that line a few times. The thing is, most people either already know you’re lying as soon as the words leave your mouth, will know within a few hours, or in my case assume you’re lying because your friend Ellie can’t stop laughing as she tells the two guys you’re talking to that you two, “totally aren’t schoolies." It’s so much easier to just be honest and tell people you’re a schoolie from the get go. If that bothers them, they’re not worth being friends with anyway. 
3. Ex-Schoolies are your greatest assets.
The first few weeks of school it is very likely that you will meet what my friends and I refer to as an “ex-schoolie”. Ex-schoolies have been in your shoes. They know how worried you are that people aren’t going to like you just because you’re a littler bit younger (which is a completely irrational fear by the way). They also know the best places to hang out and how to have fun your schoolie year. Utilize these ex-schoolies to your advantage. They are the one group of people that you know 100 percent will not care that you’re a schoolie, and they’re some of the best people you will meet. Let them introduce you to their friends and teach you how to do your school year right!
4. Freshmen are the only people who actually care.
Not all non-schoolie freshman, but at least the ones who pick on schoolies, go through a bit of an identity crisis the first month or so of college. They just finished their senior year finally at the top of the high-school food chain. Now they’re at the bottom again as college freshmen. They are looking for anyone to classify as below them, so they pick on us schoolies. Most Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors have been at Clarkson long enough to know that this is ridiculous. A schoolie is the exact same thing as a freshman. No one cares how old you are as long as you act mature enough to be at college. Don’t let the other freshmen tell you any different. If they’re firing shots, fire one right back. My personal favorite is, “at least it didn’t take me four years to finish high school.” Granted, it technically did take me and most of my friends four years to finish high school as most of us walked at our high school graduations in June following the completion of our year at The Clarkson School, but that's beside the point. They're no better than you just because they are older, and you are no better than them just because you came to college when you were younger. This joke typically shows those picking on you how ridiculous they sound. Who cares when you came to college, either way, you both ended up there. That's something both of you should be proud of.
5. The school doesn't want you to get in trouble.
Being a schoolie means you have a few more rules than the other freshmen. Most importantly, you have a curfew at 2:00 a.m. every weekend first semester. I’m not saying you should break these rules, but I will say this: TCS has no desire to get you in trouble. No one likes reprimanding people, not even the TCS staff. As long as you’re not breaking rules in front of your house advisors, you’re probably going to be fine. That being said, nothing good happens after 2 a.m. You’re honestly better off just sprinting back to the dorms to make those dreaded curfews. Keep in mind that curfews are also a great “get out of jail free card.” Since everyone knows you’re a schoolie, they also know you have a curfew. They’re usually a little confused about how exactly that works though, so if you’re ever uncomfortable or just bored, all you have to do is scream “oh my god I have curfew!" and run out as if you actually do. This works every time; it doesn’t matter how early it is.
6. It's okay to be social, but not too social.
Just because you’re a schoolie doesn’t mean you can’t get involved. My friends and I participated in as much as we could and it made our experience at Clarkson 10 times better. You can do anything any other freshman can. My friends definitely did. They created clubs, joined pre-existing ones, held positions in CUSA, and gave tours. Pretty much anything and everything. Don’t be too social though. Every year there are a few schoolies who end up leaving because they let their grades slip too much. Have fun, but be smart about it. You need to find your own balance. Go out with your friends, but make sure you can recognize when you need to stay in and hit the books.
7. You will meet the best friends of your life.
I can honestly say I met the most amazing group of girls during my year as a schoolie. I know I’m going to have those girls as friends for the rest of my life, and that's something special. Nothing brings you as close to people as the experience of The Clarkson School. You will be amazed by how quick you can bond with people when you live together. Sure, freshmen are living with their friends too, but we’re a tighter community. We’re a family and family is forever.
8. You’re going to miss it when it’s over.
Everyone complains about being a schoolie. Curfew sucks, being younger sucks, everything sucks. You’re going to complain constantly up until the day you have your commencement ceremony. Then it will hit you. Some of your friends are going to go to different universities next year, maybe not your best friends, but definitely at least a few of the people you spent time with. You’re also going to realize how privileged you were as a schoolie. New dorms are way better than the quad. Getting to come to school before everyone else was a huge advantage, too. You even got free trips! The other freshmen definitely didn’t get a fully funded trip to Smuggler’s Notch. Make sure you enjoy your time as a schoolie. It won't last forever, and as weird as this may sound now, you will wish it could.
