This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.

When you’re in a new school, new environment and even a new city at the same time, things are going to get overwhelming. On top of everything you have to process and adapt to, you have to deal with the silent smirks of upperclassmen taking a little bit of sadistic joy watching freshmen stumble around campus after they’ve already done their time. Even sophomores (like me) take advantage of the first second they can rejoice in their own non-freshman-ness. However, it’s rare that upperclassmen won’t be kind and accommodating to freshmen who ask them for help, because while it may be easy to make fun of newbies, it’s also easy to remember your own freshman year and its difficulties. No one wants to deal with being made fun of on top of classes, books, new people, new teachers and a new lifestyle. To make the transition the tiniest bit easier, here are some tips on avoiding common freshman blunders and embarrassing situations.

1. Don’t Be Decked in BU Merch

Try not to be dressed in BU gear head to toe. You’ll stand out like a sore thumb if you’re wearing a BU hoodie, sweatpants, hat, water bottle, backpack and sunglasses. People wear BU merch, but not all at the same time!

2. The BU Shuttle is Not Always Reliable

The BU shuttle schedule is a lie. They try their best to stick to the “a bus every ten minutes” thing, but traffic, a lack of buses or bad weather often make this impossible. Instead, download the BU Transit app and make use of their GPS feature, which gives you a fairly accurate idea of where each bus is and how long until it gets to a certain stop. It also pinpoints every BU shuttle bus stop, which is convenient when it’s hard to tell where they are otherwise.

3. Don’t Buy Books In Advance

Unless your professor specifically emails the class to buy the book in advance, wait until the first day of class to see what your teacher says. It may be that the professor gives you a free PDF of the book, won’t actually use the book, or doesn’t need you to buy any books at all. When they do request students to buy a book, look for older editions, used books, rentals at Barnes and Noble, and even check if it’s on the shelves at Mugar Library using the BU Library search engine before buying it completely new. There’s also a Facebook page for BU students to buy or sell old books for much cheaper than the original price, called BU Textbook Exchange. Buying a new book should be your absolute last resort.

4. Don’t Get There 3 Seconds Before Class Starts

It’s okay, and usually very common, to be a few minutes early to class. Some even get there ten minutes before. If you get there on the dot, it’s very likely every seat will be filled up and you’ll be awkwardly shuffling in between rows, hitting laptops, backpacks and people’s faces in your quest to get to a random seat in the very back or very front of the class. It’s harder to hear the teacher in the back (especially if you’re in a lecture hall) and you might feel very exposed all the way in the front, so try your best not to be the last one to class.

5. Skip Class Sparingly

You have the right to skip class, especially when you’re sick, very tired or just feel like you can’t get out of bed that day. It happens! The important thing is to not make it a habit. Once you start missing class, it’s hard to stop, and it’s easy to keep making excuses as to why it’s fine if you skip a second, third or fourth time. You start missing notes, important information from professors, and may be tempted to start skipping lots of other classes too. Most classes have a number of absences you can have without them affecting your grade, but watch out for classes that don’t have mandatory attendance, like many lecture-type classes. Absences might not affect your grade directly, but you reap what you sow—you won’t be looking at very good exam scores as a result. If you’re tempted to skip so much that you rarely go to class in the first place, you might as well drop the class.

6. If You’re Skipping, Make a Friend

This goes for every class, even if you don’t plan on having to miss class. If you can’t make it to class, having a friend there to take notes will take some stress off of your shoulders. You don’t have to be best friends with the person, but if you add them on Facebook or exchange numbers, a quick message can get you access to notes and a summary of what you missed.

7. Avoid Freshman Hordes

This one isn’t so much of a “freshman thing” as it is a human thing. When a huge group of confused or scared-looking people come down the sidewalk, it’s almost guaranteed it’s all freshmen. There’s safety in numbers, and doing this helps you meet plenty of people that you can choose to get to know better—but after the first week or two, it’s better to avoid travelling in huge groups and opt for smaller groups of people you’ve chosen to hang out with. Otherwise, things get complicated and harder to maneuver (especially when you’re unfamiliar with the area) and you may be pressured into doing something you don’t feel comfortable with when you’re swept up in groupthink.

8. If You’re Going to Drink, Be Smart About It

You’ve probably already done a mandatory online course about alcohol and its dangers, and made your choice on whether or not you’re going to be drinking while on campus. If you or people you know are drinking and going out, make sure you know where you’re going, how you’re getting back, who you’re going with, etc. The last thing you want is to be caught in a situation where you don’t know what to do and are completely stuck. Know your limits.

9. The BU Escort Security Service is Always An Option

If you ever feel unsafe on campus or like you can’t get home by yourself, the back of your BU ID has a number for the BU Escort Security Service, made up of students whose job is to get to wherever you are on campus and walk with you back to where you need to go. If you feel even the slightest bit unsure about walking alone, give them a call—they’re available from 8 pm to 3 am on weekends (8 to 2 am on weekdays.)

10. Keep an Open Mind

Your expectations of college may or may not match up with what you’ll actually experience. A good rule of thumb is to always try something once, and if you don’t like it, you can at least say you gave it a shot. There’s a whole range of experiences you’ll miss out on if you don’t open up, including different lifestyles, viewpoints, opinions, subjects and people. If something goes against your instincts, don’t force yourself, but you have to learn when you’re holding yourself back out of a sense of danger or fear of the unknown. This is something you can learn only as you continue to grow throughout college and the rest of your life. Just remember to have fun!

Guide to Becoming a Master Freshman