It seems like just yesterday that I was a poor freshman lugging all of my belongings into Holloway Hall, up the stairs and throwing everything on the floor, meeting my roommates for the first time, and wondering what life would be like for the next four years. As a graduating senior this year, I thought that maybe I could offer some advice and suggestions for freshmen on surviving the next four years.
1. Don’t eat too many sizzlers in one week. Seriously. It’s not called “sizzler sickness” for no reason. While they are delicious and amazing to indulge in every once in awhile, you will dearly pay for cramming a sizzler down right before class. One of the worst decisions I ever made was eating a sizzler an hour before doing the Pumpkin Fun Run (yes, that actually happened). Please learn from my mistakes.
2. Eat breakfast before you head to class, especially if it’s an 8 a.m. It sounds like I’m being a mom, but even eating a granola bar or some orange juice before class will do wonders keeping you awake. Class in the morning will be slightly less torturous if you at least have a little bit of food in you. Eating breakfast helps improve your attention span and your ability to focus, and it helps kick start your metabolism for the rest of the day. Your body will thank you.
3. You have more than enough time to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Your major right now may not be your major a year from now, but that’s okay. With most majors, you can change it and still graduate on time. It is in your best interest to get a faculty advisor to help you chart your course to graduation. You may not want to, thinking you can plan out your path to graduation by yourself, but sitting down and speaking with an advisor will get you the help you need. Professors here actually really care about how well you do during your time here.
4. Do not burn popcorn in your dorm room. As much as you may want a buttery snack at two in the morning, nobody else in your dorm wants to be dragged out of bed in the wee hours of the morning for a fire alarm because you couldn’t keep a close enough eye on your popcorn.
5. Get involved. The best way to meet new people is to join one of the clubs on campus or meet people around your dorm, because chances are, they’re going to become your best friends. Be open to meeting new people, don’t be afraid to join a club with people who have a similar interest. Take advantage of all the social activities KSC has to offer.
6. Your fake ID probably won’t work. In fact, you can almost guarantee it won’t work. Bouncers at bars, cashiers at places like Cumbies, bartenders, and the cashier at the liquor store will scrutinize it, ask you questions or scan it. It’s really not worth the trouble and embarrassment to hand off your fake ID and think that’s it’s going to get you into Cobblestone at 10 p.m. on a Thursday night. Just be a little patient; you’ll turn 21 soon enough.
7. Making the margins and punctuation larger in your ITW final paper is not going to go over well with your professor. It’s not like they’ve never seen those methods of increasing the amount of pages before, so they will definitely call you on it.
8. Late night Domino’s pizza or Ramunto’s runs are always a good idea. Sure you’ll regret the amount of calories you ate the next day, but you’re in college. Overindulging in junk food and greasy pizza are the staples of your weekend nights. Embrace it.
9. Going to the gym between 5-7 p.m. on any given weeknight is a guaranteed way to not get much exercise done. Everyone goes to the gym at this time, so girls, if you’re interested in getting on the elliptical, chances are they will all be taken. You’re better off going at a different time of day when the entirety of KSC isn’t sweating it out at the gym.
10. Try not to forget your ID card. You won’t be able to get into the DC without it, and some desk attendants probably won’t be lenient about letting you go to your room without it. Also, as I discovered, it’s never a good idea to climb through your first floor window. It could get you kicked out of the dorm room if an RA catches you!
11. Make as many friends and connections while you’re here. No matter how much you love your friends from home, some of the relationships you form here are going to make a lifelong impression. On this campus right now may be your maid of honor at your wedding, your future girlfriend, and your future group of best friends you can’t live without. You’re going to meet some fantastic people while you’re here, so why not make the most of it?
12. Have as much fun as you possibly can for the next four years because they go by unbelievably quickly. I thought high school seemed to drag on forever, but I couldn’t imagine how quickly the years would pass in college. They’re going to be the best years of your life, so enjoy them while you can.
Whitney Cyr can be contacted at
wcyr@keene-equinox.com