I STILL remember the first time I called Bonnycastle "home." It was only three weeks into my first year, and I passed a friend on the street. She asked where I was going, and I subconsciously replied, "I'm heading home." It was the first time that I'd ever called any place other than Johnny and Beverly Almond's house that word. And it felt good. Really good. It was then that I knew that my place was going to be at the University. It was then that I no longer worried if I was going to make it. But I still knew then that I had much more to learn. I still do. And so do you.
Learn to be outgoing. Meet your entire dorm during the first few days of school. No one will care if your hair's a mess or if you're not from Northern Virginia. This will be the first thread in your inevitable network of friends that will last a lifetime. But learn to keep to yourself. Spend some "me" time. Read a classic novel, walk down the Lawn, write just to write. The best decisions are made when you're all alone with your thoughts.
Learn to try. Take that 200-level course that sounds interesting. Sign up for something you never would have done in high school. Then learn to try harder. Try out for a competitive student group. Write an extra page. You can't go through college thinking anything's out of reach.
Learn to sleep. It keeps your body healthy and your mind sound. But learn to go without sleep. It will happen and it will happen more than you'd like. Plus, there's always coffee.
Learn to be bold. Go to your world-famous professor's office hours. As high as his pedestal seems, he is still human. Approach that crush that seems out of reach. You never know what she may like about you. But learn to be scared. It's okay to fear the unknown. Without that fear, there would be no happiness in learning from and overcoming it.
Learn to avoid conflict. Nothing good comes out of a fight. Ever. But learn to confront conflict. It's a sign of adulthood to be able to sit down and work things out.
Learn to treat others well. No matter what differences there are between you and them, they deserve the respect and attention you'd give to even your closest friends. And then learn to treat them better. Extend a helping hand. Be selfless with your time. Men, hold your coeds up high. You no longer attend high school with a bunch of girls. You live in a community with intelligent college women.
Learn to experiment. Think outside the box. Write a paper from the viewpoint opposite of your own. Try the casserole surprise at the dining halls. But remember to stick to the basics. Stay true to your roots. Find a daily routine and stick with it. Eat peanut butter and jelly once in awhile.
Learn to be an adult. This goes for any situation. You are now responsible for every action you perform. Mommy and Daddy no longer provide shelter -- neither physically nor emotionally. But learn to be child-like. Remember what got you where you are. Cherish the simple pleasures of an ice cream cone or snowball fight. Play Nintendo. Watch cartoons. However, it's still not okay to suck your thumb.
Learn to talk. You will have the deepest and sincerest conversations here -- if you're willing to participate. Talk to your professors. They want to listen. Call home on Sundays to talk your parents' ears off. But learn to listen. Someone will always have it worse than you do, and you will always have a shoulder to let them cry on. Listen to what your parents say, they've been there before.
Learn to laugh. It's the best kind of stress relief. Make a fool of yourself. Be spontaneous. Go mud-sliding on the first rainy day. Dress up for Halloween. But don't be afraid to cry. Bad things will happen once in awhile. Crying speeds up the recovery process.
Learn to hold on. Remember your high school friends. Keep your family close. That whole "make new friends but keep the old" is a cliché for good reason. But learn to let go. Leave your sweetheart behind. The pond is huge now. Leave the nest. Bury old habits. Bury bad habits. There's too much to learn to dwell on the past.
Take any advice you get. Uphold old traditions. Eat at the White Spot. Take the honor code very seriously. Streak the Lawn. Paint Beta Bridge. But be able to separate good advice from bad. Don't do the fourth-year fifth. Don't go to Rugby every night. Don't tailor yourself to the images that others would like you to portray.
Learn to learn for yourself. The many things I've learned are based on my personal experiences. The things you are going to learn will have to be on your own terms. Don't go out and do what I did in order to learn the things I did. The world can't take any more Brandons. The opportunities to learn valuable lessons will come when you least expect it, and you'll have to be sharp enough to seize them before it's too late. As for the lessons I still have coming, I can't wait. And neither should you.
(Brandon Almond is a Cavalier Daily associate editor.)
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