The First Seven Days

[roshcrazy]

Walking the Walk & Talking the Talk on Campus
You've made it. Whether by train, plane or automobile you have set foot on campus and are ready to make your presence known. Many colleges and universities have a schedule that gives freshman the opportunity to move on campus before upperclassmen return from the summer break. Take advantage of this time, if you have it. If you can get on campus over the weekend with your family start moving day early and you might avoid the crowds trying to cart possessions up to the fifth floor using one elevator.


Imagine you kissed your family and friends goodbye on Sunday. Below is an example of what you might experience during your first week as a new student. Let's take a stroll through the next seven days.

Monday
You and your new roommate explore the campus. After getting lost a couple of times you feel like you know the basics.

During your scavenger hunt you found the cafeteria, student center, registrar, bookstore and campus police station. Don't feel like a dork if you have to reference the campus map to find your way around on Day 1.

Most colleges and universities have online registration and allow students, even freshmen, to enroll prior to setting foot on campus. If you have difficulty with registration there will be counselors in your major area of study or in the registrars office who can help you.

Tuesday
You use this day to finalize any outstanding registration activities. You also stop by the bookstore to find new and used books for your classes and pick up any last minute supplies. Classes start tomorrow!

Not all schools start on a Monday. If you are lucky your first week won't be a full one. It will provide an opportunity to get a glimpse of all your classes and professors and many times you will have the opportunity to drop a class and add another if something doesn't rub you the right way.

Wednesday
Off to first college class at 8:00 AM. You find the academic building easily and meet a few new people in the classroom. The professor hands out the course syllabus and tells you about a few additional supplies you may need. After two more classes you crash the cafeteria with your roommate and dig in to your lunch. Most of your classes are in the morning so you use the afternoon to start reading assignments and organizing for the next day. That night you and a new friend check out the nightlife on campus. You find folks in the student center game room and hanging out on the quad or in front of fraternity and sorority houses.

The first week of school you may struggle with time management. There is so much to see and do and you might find yourself staying up late to fit everything in. As long as you can function in class the next day, you'll be fine. The novelty of not having a curfew will wear off in a couple of weeks when teachers start talking about tests. Try to live by some of the same parental rules you hated in high school. College is a good lesson in responsibility. It is best to stay grounded as the first year for many college student is critical to laying a solid foundation in your major area of study.

Thursday
Thursday you only have a couple of classes. You go to the student center to take a look at the bulletin board of campus clubs, organizations, and events. You find some interesting activities to fill your weekend.

As the first week goes by you will find that some of the anxiety you may have had previously has started to subside.

The campus that seemed infinite in size has started to shrink and the unfamiliar faces are becoming more familiar as you go to more classes.

Friday
By now you are fairly comfortable with the campus and have made some new acquaintances. You are ready for the weekend and the social scene to unfold. After class you hop on public transportation or catch a ride with a friend to explore some off campus parts of town.

It's the weekend! You have a little homework, but for the most part you've made it through your first week and are ready to see what a weekend in your new home away from home is like. Upperclassmen will probably be starting to show up at this time, if your school has an independent freshman orientation week. If it already seemed like there were students all over the grounds, now it will probably feel like the campus is a small city.

Saturday
You find some kids from your old high school or hometown and spend some time catching up. You swap summer stories and they give you the skinny on your professors and classes. This is a good time to find people who may have notes from the classes in which you are enrolled.

After hanging out Friday and Saturday with new and old friends you will probably need to take some time to chill before your first full week. Professors may have let you out early during freshman orientation week, but be prepared for the full hour now that the start of school has been made official.

Sunday
You decide to take it easy, running errands and making sure you have everything you need for your classes. Despite the late nights you've been keeping since you set foot on campus you decide to get some rest. You do in fact have an eight o'clock class in the morning!

Your first full week of classes will probably seem long and you may even stumble through some of the things you thought you had covered during your orientation period. If you get lost on campus, don't beat yourself up about it.

You will eventually find your way. Join some academic clubs to make new friends as well as find study partners or groups. Make the most out of your first year, academically and socially.