IN HIGH school, as in one's previous educational experience (which probably encompasses your life since you can remember), there was a certain way of doing things. This path was handed down by parents and furthered by teachers and administrators in what was probably for many incoming students a tightly regimented educational environment. Welcome to the University. Consider yourselves emancipated. You are free to do what you want and associate with whomever you like.
For some, college might seem like the utopic wonderland they'd always wished for, where endless amusements and a steady stream of social activities never cease. Others may see college as a huge new world that may seemintimidating. One way or another, there isn't much that can prepare someone for the college experience, other than actually living it first hand. As I near my final year here at the University, with all the "good, bad and ugly" that has transpired in the past, I can candidly admit that it is crucial to step out of your "comfort zone" and experience as much as the University has to offer.
Many incoming first years have probably not scratched the surface of the multitude of opportunities that seep through the University. Whether it is attending a Division I athletic event or meeting people from countries as distant as Argentina, Bulgaria or China, the possibilities of how to spend one's time here at the University are nearly boundless. It is all too easy however to find oneself doing the same type of things that you were doing just a few months ago in high school. Try not to.
Talk to people you normally wouldn't. With 12,000 undergraduate students at the University, diversity abounds. There are students from nearly every state in the United States and countries spanning the globe. Any incoming student is bound to meet people from a place he has never been to and in some cases, perhaps never heard of. See someone wearing clothes that no one in your hometown would be caught dead in, or perhaps speaking with an accent a little different from your own? Introduce yourself to that person, see where they're from. They might end up having more in common with you than you would have realized.
Although for in-state students, the "comfort" inherent in hanging out with hometown friends or people that went to your high school is an appealing enticement, try to spend time with other people at first. The beginning of the year is the best time to meet new students, and you'll still get along with the people you knew from before college.
Keep your door open. Living in a dorm gives you the opportunity to associate with people you've never met before and might not meet in any other circumstance. Keep your door open. Open doors are invitations for your roommates to come in and get to know you. It is also important to try to stay at the University for the first month of school. Those first few weeks are the most formative among halls or suites, and you might miss some crucial bonding if you can't resist the urge to go back home to the familiar. Living in a new situation can be like buying new shoes -- you have to bear the initial awkwardness and break them in.
Do things you have never done before. From hundreds of clubs and events to a diverse party scene, the University will definitely offer things that you have never seen or experienced before. Here is the crucial test, go out and do things you haven't done before. Go check out some U.Va. sports games. The University offers several teams like lacrosse, football, swimming and soccer that rank among the elite in the nation. Even if you aren't a sports nut, you may find a soft spot for cheering on the Wahoos.
Sign up for interesting sounding clubs during the activity fair. Although some of these clubs may only end up generating annoying e-mails that clog your inbox, you may actually find that you have a true passion for Judo, a capella or fashion that you didn't know you had before. If there is something you're interested in, there is a high likelihood that there are other students on grounds that feel the same way.
And most infamously, don't be afraid to brave the party scene. Even if you aren't exactly the "party animal" type, you should still try going out a few times and seeing if you like it. Also, the University party scene is not just centered among the fraternity houses on Rugby Road. There is a whole world of parties around grounds put on by different cultural groups or just random house parties that aren't as visible as the frats. Try these parties on for size. Although they might be playing different music than what you're used to, and there might be people you've never seen before, you might just find a new crowd you fit in well with.
The University offers more people to meet and things to do than any one person could hope to accomplish in a lifetime. There are many things that incoming first years have never seen or ever heard of. College is the time when you try new things and learn about the world. Don't be shy, and don't fall into the rut of doing the same type of things you've done throughout high school. Get out of your "comfort zone" and go experience the University.
(Alex Rosemblat can be reached at arosemblat@cavalierdaily.com.)
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