College Freshmen What to Do Your First Few Days On Campus

Get to Know Your Roommate, RA, and the Campus When Your Arrive at College Heading to college for the first time can be a little overwhelming. There are so many things to do, events to go to, and people to meet. Take your time and enjoy every second, but make sure you take care of everything you need to do while you’re enjoying everything you want to do! Participate Your first few days on campus will probably include freshmen orientation and welcome events. Though some of these may sound a little boring, go to all of them! Even if they are optional, you will learn things that you may find to be invaluable. If not, these are the days and the experiences that everyone goes through, and, they bond the class for the next four years. Don’t miss out; you’ll regret it later on. Say Hello Meet as many people as you can. Everyone is new, so walk up to someone and introduce yourself! Get to know your roommate and everyone on your floor, too. This is not the time to be shy. Sit down with someone new in the dining hall, join someone sitting alone in one of your classes, or stop and say hello to someone you recognize from orientation. They could become your best friend; you never know! Get to Know Your Campus Even if you’ve taken a few tours already, looking at a campus from the perspective of a student is very different. Big or small, there are definitely things explore that you may not realize are there. Stop by the rooms where all your classes will be held before the first day to ensure that you won’t get lost. This also helps you go into your first class calm and confident. Maybe take a walk to a cafà © that you heard was good, or venture off-campus and get to know the town or city that just became your home. Familiarize yourself with your surroundings and you’ll immediately feel much more comfortable (and you can ditch the map). Meet with Your Resident Advisor On your first or second day, there will probably be a floor or dorm-wide Resident Advisor meeting. Go! Not only is this a great chance to meet other students on your floor or in your building, it is a great idea to get to know your RA. Your RA is a great resource for how to make the transition into college and dorm life. They are older students so they know the good professors, the best clubs and organizations, where the good food is, and where get discount textbooks. If you ever have trouble with homesickness or with your roommate, they are the ones to ask about how to handle it. They took the job knowing that their residents would have these problems, and they want to help. So introduce yourself and get to know him or her! Make Yourself at Home With so much going on during your first few days at school, you will not want to miss anything! However, be sure to set aside time to unpack and set your dorm room up. The faster you make your space your own, the more comfortable you will feel. One classes start, you won’t have as much time to personalize your space. This is your first time at college, and you’ve worked hard for it! Don’t get too stressed too quickly, and if things don’t go exactly as you imagined, that’s okay! Remember that everyone is nervous, and life at college will feel normal before you know it. You’re going to look back and remember these days, so don’t ruin them by worrying too much. Just enjoy the start of these next four years!