A STUDENT'S first year at the University is the most difficult and eventually rewarding one he will face. I hope that the following advice will help the class of 2005 survive and prosper in their first year here.
My first piece of advice is to meet people. Meet everyone in your hall and dorm. Talk to people in your classes. Talk to upper classmen. It does not matter. During the first few months of college, all first years will be eager to meet each other and even upperclassmen will be interested in meeting the new first years. But this does not last forever. Eventually people will no longer take the effort to meet many new people once they have established a group of friends. So start as soon as you get to your dorm and meet as many people as possible.
The second piece of advice I offer involves your health. For many students, college is the first time they have been away from home in their lives for any extended amount of time. Therefore, it is key to stay healthy. Eating is a major component of this. When I was a first-year, I lost 15 pounds after my first semester, because I could not stand the food at the dining hall. This is not healthy. There is enough food at the dining hall that one will not starve if he eats properly. Many other people go the opposite way and gain weight when they get to college. Eating right, exercising and remembering that beer does, in fact, contain calories can help to avoid this.
Sleeping is a neglected part of many first year's lives. This is a mistake. In order to be healthy and feel good, one must get a good night's sleep. While there will be times during your first year when you don't have enough time to sleep, remember it will catch up with you. A final piece of advice regarding one's health is to go to the Student Health Center if you are sick. This may seem obvious but many first years are clueless as to know what to do when they are sick. Student Health is located behind Cabell Hall and all you need to do is to call to make an appointment, which is free.
My third piece of advice involves roommates. When I arrived at Bonnycastle, during my first year, it was the first time I had not had my own room since I was 4. The adjustment was long and sometimes painful. The University gives each first year a room, which is the size of a large closet and then tells them to share it with another person who they usually have never met. The key here is that everyone has to make the same adjustment. While some people eventually will grow to despise their roommates and wish death on them, the vast majority will learn to live with another person and perhaps gain a friendship.
My fourth piece of advice involves having fun. One of the main activities of first years is going to frat parties. In the grand scheme of things, what frat parties you go to and how often if at all you go are absolutely pointless. But these parties are something to do, and since most first years don't have cars and are too young to get into bars, they provide some sort of recreation. Another option is playing intramural sports. These are usually fun and not overly competitive. Finally one should join extracurricular activities. Many people will tell you that it is important to join extracurricular activities in your first year. If you can manage to fit a few activities into your schedule, then go for it. But I did not even start any of the extracurricular activities I now participate in until second year, so don't feel pressured into joining stuff.
My final piece of advice involves academics. Some say that classes only get harder at the University after your first year, so it is key to do well at the beginning. This is only half true. Classes at the University get easier, but they start off very difficult. The introductory 101 classes typically have more writing and reading than many of the advanced classes. The logic is that once you decide to major in a subject your second year, you have taken most of the introductory classes. Obviously you must study. If you get bad marks your first year, it is hard to bring your GPA back up. Just remember that going out one less night a week can mean a grade higher on a test.
Just remember to meet people, stay healthy, survive your roommate, have fun and study hard. If you do all these things and of course read my column each week, I am sure you will do just fine.
(Harris Freier is a Cavalier Daily columnist. He can be reached at hfreier@cavalierdaily.com.)
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