I won’t lie; I’m a culprit of posting the majority of the following pictures to my Instagram during my first quarter of school at Northwestern. However, I’m not so naïve to think that they are at all unique. Seriously—I can’t tell you how many Lakefill pictures have flooded my Instagram these past few weeks. It’s almost like it’s a rite of passage: In order to be a Northwestern Freshman, you have to have posted the following pictures on your Instagram.
1. You Under the Arch
When you first arrive on campus, you instruct your parents to pull over the car under the Arch. Then, you get out, and do a cute little pose, so you can caption it “Finally home!” You also don’t forget to add a cute little emoji to the end of your caption, maybe the blushing happy face?
2. The “Roomie Lovin” Pic
The first night out with your roommate, it’s obligatory to get a picture together. But as if that’s not enough, it’s also apparently obligatory to caption it on Instagram “Roomie Lovin!” We get it. You and your roommate are lovin’ each other.
3. First Frat Party
Everyone knows, whether they want to admit it or not, that the first few weeks at college are a competition with friends from home to see who is having more fun at school. Therefore, at your first frat party, you take a candid pic of you and your girls dancing so everyone knows you are killing it at college.
4. Lakefill Pic
On your first walk from north campus to the Norris student center, you pass the Lakefill, and you obviously have to stop and take a picture. Usually, you’ll go with some spin off the “Heavenston” pun for the caption.
5. Brunch at Le Peep or Bat 17 Pic
You feel so collegiate, going with your friends to brunch at one of the aforementioned restaurants one of your first weekends on campus. But really, nothing say collegiate like standing up in the middle of the restaurant and instructing no one to touch their food yet in order to take an aerial picture of the food display.
6. #TBT to All Your Friends Back Home
It’s about two weeks in, and Thursday rolls around. Time to “Throwback Thursday” a picture of you and your friends at prom or hanging on the beach during senior year spring break. “Take me back,” or “missing these girls,” are among popular captions that accompany the throwback.
7. Campus Foliage
On the first non-gray day of the year, the leaves on the trees look absolutely breathtaking under the sun. You position yourself perfectly so you can get Deering Field in the background under the trees, and you caption it something along the lines of “love my campus (heart emoji, leaf emoji, smiling emoji).”
8. Gameday Tailgate
We go to a Big 10 school, so you have to milk the fact that you go fun gameday tailgates. Perhaps you take a picture from the balcony of the house looking down on the crowd of people? So original.
9. Parents Weekend
It’s been a month and your parents are FINALLY HERE! No matter how much you fought when you were home, the distance has made you so much closer, and you have to post an Instagram to show your newfound family love.
10. Hot Cookie Bar
The legendary hot cookie bar that makes its way from dining hall to dining hall every week is a must-gram. You cover your cookie in an unreal amount toppings to make it look oh so delicious, but then probably don’t end up eating half of it. Whatever though, at least you got the picture.