Dear Class of 2018,
Alright, so you just got that extra large and extra special letter in the mail from TCNJ. Suddenly you’re just not that into senior year anymore and you’re sporting your blue and gold hoodie everywhere you go. There’s nothing wrong with being excited; you’re now a Lion! But before you parade onto campus in August, there’s a few quick things you should know!
Welcome Week: You may notice that you move into your dorm a tad earlier than a couple of your friends do. Don’t worry, you’ll still have the same amount of class time as them, but you’ll also get to experience Welcome Week here at TCNJ! Instead of just handing you a room key and a class schedule, TCNJ hosts Welcome Week to help freshmen become more familiar with their floormates, the campus and basically everything TCNJ related. You’ll be involved in a variety of team bonding activities and icebreakers to help ease your way into college life. Oh, and make sure you have a fun fact about yourself prepared (TCNJ ambassadors love asking you for one). Last but not least, you’ll experience Play Fair! Although I can’t tell you exactly what this is yet (you’ll have to experience it for yourself), I can tell you it’s something you won’t want to miss!
Beware the Freshman 15: I’m sure you’ve all heard the stories. Parents send their son or daughter off to college and they return home looking a little different. Suddenly those skinny jeans are looking a little tight and sweatpants become the new fad. Well, listen up future collegiettes because I have some tips for you.
You’re going to stroll into Eickoff Hall come August (the dining hall here at TCNJ) and think you’re in heaven. Pizza, burritos, pasta, sandwiches, burgers and fries, omelets, Chinese food, cookies and ice cream, oh and yeah there’s also a salad bar. For the first couple days, you’re going to feel like you’re at an all-you-can buffet as you high five Big Larry every time he swipes your ID to let you enter. Well, enjoy, even pig out a little, however, don’t change your lifestyle and eating habits just because Eick’s serving mac n’ cheese and it looks oh so yummy. Control what and how much you eat and you can fight off the Freshman 15 curse.
Watch Your Point Balance: Whether your meal plan includes 400, 250 or 150 points, these points get depleted a lot quicker than you may think. One day, you’re dying for a caramel frappuccino from the Lib Café, and then the next day you’re craving sushi from the Lion’s Den. And just about everything looks good at the C-store. But before you deplete your meal points balance, remember there are ways to get around it! Try to buy your food during Meal Equiv. Every day between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., TCNJ pays the first $7.00 of your food. Only if you purchase food over $7.00 will points be deducted from your meal points balance.
Life in the Towers: Chances are as a freshman, you’ll be living in the towers. Whether you’re a Wolfe resident or a Travers one, you’re going to deal with your fair share of chaos. No air conditioning, an ethernet cable for internet and sharing a bathroom with more people than you can count on two hands. And despite the start of Quiet Hours at 11 p.m. during the week and 12 p.m. on the weekends, you’re still going to have trouble sleeping. Whether it’s the guys one door over who decide to have band practice at 2 a.m., or if it’s the room above you that sounds like they’re rearranging their furniture every night – life in the towers is not always pleasant. The good thing is you get used to it quickly, after all, this is your new home for almost 9 months!
Missing Home: As tough and adult as you think you are, you’re going to miss your home and family during your first semester at one point or another. You may enjoy the newly obtained freedoms that come with college living, but just wait until you’re sick and you don’t have your mom to make you some of your favorite chicken noodle soup. But don’t worry, you actually get tons of days off first semester to return home, reunite with your high school pals and see your family.
Congratulations on your TCNJ acceptance and I can’t wait to see you roaming around campus soon!
Until next time,
Kelly Corbett, Class of 2017