IT WAS my first real "college" moment. I still remember the feeling of anticipation and excitement from that hot, muggy night two summers ago.
IT DOESN'T get any better than first year. The enthusiasm. The new scenery. The new people. And best of all, no parents.
I'M NOT going to lie to you. You probably want to know about roommates. I'm going to tell you about my roommate experiences from last year.
THERE are definitely things I wish I'd known at the start of my first year at the University. I'm not talking about earth-shattering revelations or what the college experience has taught me on some deep level -- that's unique to each individual, and you'll have to make those discoveries for yourself.
FROM AGE two to age six, you learned to read, tie your shoes and not to run with scissors. From eight to 12, you learned pre-algebra, that kids can be cruel, and that boys are weird and girls are, well, girls.
THE 2000-2001 academic year promises to be an eventful one for the honor system. One of the great misconceptions is that it is static, mired in the rigid ways of our ancestors.
I HAVE met some of the most driven, dedicated, funny and creative students of the University. They meet in relative obscurity every week planning and implementing student-oriented functions and social events.
WANT TO be wise in the ways of the Wahoo? Fear not, dear first year. Adhere to the following list of "Dos and Don'ts" and you soon will be having a fine first semester. Do get out while you can.
WHEN MY college acceptance letters arrived, I quickly weeded out those expensive schools and my state school and got to two choices: here and Rice.
ALUMNI love this place. They're itching to come back here whenever they can, and when you meet alumni outside of Charlottesville, they're always eager to talk about this school, the years that they spent here, and how it has or hasn't changed since they graduated.
THIS IS the hardest university in America. Or the easiest. Or somewhere in between. It all depends on you. Enrolling at this University means you've opened a door, a door that can lead to places and experiences you've not yet imagined.
VIVID. That's how I would describe my first year at the University. Each memory is so clear and poignant that listening to a certain song or thinking of a certain moment takes me right back.
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.
I CAN'T believe I'm writing this column. Let me rephrase that: I can't believe I only have one year left at the University.
I REMEMBER watching parents teach other kids how to swim. Some parents stuck to the "sink-or-swim" philosophy.
SMART IS one thing; knowledgeable is entirely different. A smart person can, for instance, write a strong, intelligent essay on a topic he knows a lot about.
WE'RE NOT as lucky as sea turtles. Humans aren't born with the instincts to head straight for the ocean and immediately begin paddling.
THERE are thousands of them. They live in government-supported institutions, without caring guardians, each day growing more mentally detached or medically unstable.
THEY USED to be looking for "a few good men." Today, they're just looking for a few warm bodies.
JAMES DALE was a Boy Scout, an Eagle Scout, a Scout leader and a recipient of an award that only 3 percent of Scouts receive.
