Beginning college is obviously a huge transition from the life you’ve gotten used to over the past 18 years. One second you’re surrounded by friends and family who have known you your whole life, and the next second you’re thrown into an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people who regularly eat foods with names like jambalaya (which does NOT sound like something I would voluntarily ingest). With all of this newness, it’s impossible to know which people you mesh well with and which people you don’t. Figuring out how to be friendly and enthusiastic enough to meet new people and get involved without seeming too eager or looking like the dreaded “classic freshman” is a tough balancing act. As I write this, I have been a Tulane freshman for exactly 13 days, so it’s safe to say I know practically nothing about college life. However, my first week of college was literally a few days ago, so I’ve compiled a list of five things that will inevitably* happen in your first week of college.
*I use the term “inevitably” very loosely. Actually, I probably shouldn’t use it at all since I’m basing this entire article purely on my own experience.
1. You’ll walk into your class too early, too late, or be in the wrong class entirely.
Let’s be honest, this campus is basically a huge maze. You’re bound to get lost and be a few minutes late to class, unless you’re me in which case you’ll be so obsessed with not being late that you get to class a half hour early and walk in on the middle of a senior philosophy lecture and a not-so-understanding teacher. 10/10 would not recommend.
2. You’ll actually want to talk to your parents. I know, I know. This one was a shock to me, too. In high school, you would pretty much do anything to avoid talking to your parents. You would rather bang your head into a brick wall than hear your mom ask how your day was every day after school. But once you’re in college, you’ll want to tell them everything about your day (well, maybe not everything, but you know what I mean), and they’ll genuinely be interested in what you have to say about your new collegiate life.
3. You and your roommate will become reeeeal close reeeeal fast. Everyone has their weird quirks that they would rather not show even their closest friends, but all privacy boundaries are thrown out the window when you share your living space with someone else. Within a few days, you’ll probably be perfectly comfortable walking around your room with little to no clothing and giving in to gross bodily functions without shame. It’s all a great bonding experience! (That’s me and my roommate, Meg. She looks like she’s choking me but she likes me I swear.)
4. You’ll see an ambulance outside of your dorm.
The unfortunate truth is that many college freshmen party a little too hard during their first few nights of freedom. I’m currently living in Wall, the freshman honors dorm, and we’ve had more than a few cases of people needing medical attention. Think about that next time someone says nerds don’t like to party.
5. You’ll realize that high school DOESN’T MATTER!
By far one of the best things that happened to me during my first week of college was letting go of the stresses that came with high school and my hometown. Whether you were the prom queen, theater kid, or president of the heavy metal appreciation club, everyone is the same when you enter your freshman year of college. Being in a completely new environment makes it so simple to disregard anything that held you back in high school and focus all of your energy on your future as a Tulane University student and beyond.