Things I learned during my first weekend at college
Your parents will hover like crazy and try to help you unpack when you move in. They mean well, but if youâre overwhelmed donât be afraid to kick them out for a bit.Â
Donât ask your RA what bars to hit up in town (like one girl from my floor actually did)
Check your e-mail five times a day, your professors might be sending out syllabi or other helpful/important stuff ahead of time.Â
You will cry at least once while buying textbooks from the campus bookstore that you couldnât find used on Chegg (sidenote: use Chegg)Â
Your dining hall probably has pizza available for every meal. Donât eat pizza for every meal.Â
Even if you hated salads your entire life, you will learn to love them so that, you know, you donât eat pizza for every meal.Â
Check your dining hall hours online. Some of them close between meals.Â
Leave your door open or do random Internet browsing in the floor lounge if you want to meet more people.Â
At least one of your posters will constantly fall down no matter how many 3M command strips you use.
A lot of campus events are lame. A lot of them are not. Go to as many of them as you can anyways to meet more people.
If you need time to yourself, take it. Youâll make friends eventually without having to hang out with them constantly.Â
Donât expect to become BFFs with everyone you meet, and donât expect to become best friends over your first weekend.Â
If youâre standing if a long period of time, bend/relax your knees every so often. If you keep them locked, you might trigger a nerve in your body that causes you to pass out (this may or may not have happened to me on my second day, oops)Â
Carry an umbrella if there is the slightest chance of rain. Carry one even if there isnât, just in case.Â
Carry a sweater or hoodie always.Â
Pokemon Go is lit on college campuses; every single building is a gym or pokestop and there are lures everywhere. Plus, your eggs hatch in no time because youâre walking everywhere.Â
Itâs okay to eat alone in a dining hall; either no one will care or someone will sit at your table and strike up a conversation.
If you really, really donât want to eat alone, literally just knock on someoneâs door in your hall. If they donât want to go with you, try someone else. Chances are, someone else might be hungry, too or at least willing to walk over with you.Â
Come up with a roommate agreement. Decide when youâre cleaning, sharing policy, guest policy, light and noise preferences, etc.Â
If there is a massive involvement fair on campus, research some clubs online so you know what to look for. Otherwise youâll be overwhelmed in two seconds.Â
Join a group chat with people on your floor or in the same area of study as you, itâs super helpful for general information.
Ask everyone you talk to to add you on Snapchat.Â
Simple things like taking out the trash or doing laundry will suddenly feel very overwhelming.Â
You learn a lot of stuff from being in college for only three days and not even taking any classes.Â