As the year settles in for even the latest of us, we come face to face with some of the most revolting, but equally adorable people to ever walk foot on the campus. They come in swarms, feasting on all of the free food and with the energy of ten seniors (or more!!) in one body.
I speak of...the first years.
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Yes, the little ones are the students we hate to love, but occasionally also love to love. They remind us of our youthful selves from years past, when we still did readings and before the idea of "Cs get degrees" ever entered our naive little heads. They also remind us of the people we used to be before even a few months of college changed us - our beings and aspirations. And sometimes, they just remind us of how stupid we were starting out as people who just left four years of school where our moves were always regulated; gone are they days where we had to raise our hands to go to the bathroom or even had dress codes. My favorite first-year pet peeve was always that one student that said we could legally leave class if the professor or TA didn't show up within the first 15 minutes. (In my head I was always like, "Girl, we pay to be here; you can leave whenever you want.")
By observing them, a common response is to bag on them for their naievity. It can cause inefficiency, be downright wrong, or just plain get on our nerves. We've all been there, don't worry about it. But you have to think about it and remember: you or even a friend of yours was probably like that before too, before anyone ever showed you the ropes, or even before you ever had to figure things out for yourself. What they need the most right now are sources of help. Chances are they're all shaking in their knees as they enter new styles of classrooms, far from home and with tons of random people handing them flyers like nobody's business.
Instead of hating this year, from one former freshman to another, please go and help them. Whether it's a shortcut to classes or a way to get cheap food, be the first person to show them the ropes. Not only will it feel nice to help someone (if you're that kind of person), but they'll probably feel better too, and eventually they'll feel more open to ask for help instead of just stand there awkwardly the next time they're stuck in whatever situations they might be in again. Who knows - you might even make a new friend.
So go out today and help a freshman!! Save at least one of them the embarrassment of raising a hand to go to the bathroom and I assure you that you will have made the world a better place.
