MANY OF you who have returned from weekend-long Summer Orientations probably learned the basics of how to navigate from Old Dorms to Alderman and register for classes. You also learned things you will later wish you never knew, like what the word "ISIS" means. In the two-day session you met tons of people, and had a very brief introduction to University life.
As soon as you move-in in late August and sit down on your bed and attempt to start a conversation with the person you will live with over the next year, you will quickly be bombarded with Fall Orientation activities and options, ranging from a performance reenacting potential roommate conflicts to dorm BBQs to safety talks with University police.
While the information provided to you about how to find the library, how to write up a roommate contract and how to register for classes is all important (although I literally didn't find Alderman until two weeks before finals first semester), there is some information that the University briefly addresses that is vital to remember when figuring out how to navigate your first semester.
Don't assume everyone is just like you. It sounds trivial, but, chances are, not all your hall-mates are from your hometown, or share your religious beliefs, political affiliation or sexual orientation.
Don't assume everyone around you is straight or liberal or in-staters. Same applies to gay or conservative or out-of-staters.
Also keep in mind that not everyone comes from the same socioeconomic background that you do. As an admitted student, there is almost a 50 percent chance your family makes at least $100,000 per year. There is about a 20 percent chance that your family makes over $200,000 per year. Occasionally, you may find hallmates assuming that money grows on trees in your family. Remember that this is not true for everyone, and don't brag about money. That's just not cool.
I do realize that the whole "keep an open-mind" shpiel has been drilled into you repeatedly by parents, teachers, college counselors and now, orientation leaders. But, while generally the majority of orientation information can easily be discovered on your own, without the help of a very cheerful orientation leader, not drawing too many conclusions about the people you meet is a crucial thing to keep in mind as you set off to meet new people and make your second home in Charlottesville.
Coming from a senior class in which only one student of 70 classified himself as Republican, making three times as many gay students as Republicans in my graduating class, I had some adjusting to do in my assumptions about the people I met. I quickly realized that not everyone appreciated hearing my opinions on John Kerry's new tie, nor did everyone agree that D.C. is just that much cooler than NoVa.
Likewise, coming from a school that was, in its own way, sheltering at times, I was surprised by some of the generalizations and language that I heard students use here. An off-the-cuff "That's so gay!" would have silenced a room in my high school.
The University will go out of its way during your first few days on Grounds to introduce you to, as a concept, situations in which it is crucial to keep an open mind about your roommate, hallmates and everyone else you come across. But keeping an open-mind about the people you will meet and trying not to make assumptions, is much easier in theory than in practice.
You don't need to be Mr. or Ms. Political Correctness, but at least reflect on how many new people, from so many backgrounds you will be meeting. Get excited about it! You will meet people from all over the country, all over the world, from literally thousands of different backgrounds, families and high schools. Keep your mind wide-open and you'll love it. And I promise I won't try to convince you that Georgetown is just so much cooler than Alexandria.
Sophia Brumby is a Cavalier Daily columnist. She can be reached at sbrumby@cavalierdaily.com.
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