1. When you come to UCSB, you get your introduction to the quarter system, leaving you with an awkward, lonely month at home spent Facebook-stalking your friends who are on the semester system. Instead of turning green with envy and convulsing with jealousy, plan a trip to visit your friends at their schools before you ship off!
2. As gauchos, we must keep up our reputation–partying around the clock. As a brand new, baby Gaucho, not only will you need your standard going out/club attire, but university life also requires dageing (day raging) outfits, such as crop tops, bralettes, and a variety of high-waisted shorts or sundresses. In addition, for the Greek Gaucho, you will also need dresses for date parties, and cute tops and leggings for philanthropies/nights when you don’t feel like going out. It’s time to make your mom spend obscene amounts of money at Lululemon and Urban Outfitters to prepare you for life at the UC level, so, happy shopping!
3. During your month of solitude and boredom, peruse the online course catalogue and keep note of cool classes that you find! You may spark an interest in a subject you’ve never studied, or you may need an alternative class after realizing that astrology does not consist of star-gazing or even astrology itself, but is actually mostly physics. The professor, however, is really hot.
4. Read a good book. As an English major, reading is one my favorite things to do; however, with a packed college schedule, there’s never anytime to read what you want outside of class. Even if you’re not someone who usually appreciates literature, read and relax by the pool. Do this now because over the next four years, reading will become a daunting activity that takes place in a traumatic cram session usually beginning the night before your final.
5. Start an exercise routine. The only way to combat the freshmen 15 is to start early! If you’ve already lost this battle, read up with Her Campus’ own bloggers about how to drop those pounds easily and safely (http://www.hercampus.com/lose-freshman-15/more)! Seriously, you don’t want to end up back-stalking your own pictures with a box of tissues in hand, reliving the glory days when all of your pants used to fit.
6. Go to orientation. Although it can be intimidating if you don’t know anyone, orientation familiarizes you with the campus, the dining commons, the dorms, Isla Vista life, and you’ll end up making new friends! (Note: this will help you to feel less lost, a.k.a. less like a freshman, on your first day of school).
7. Hang out with your parents. Really. When you’re in the library until 4:00 a.m. the night before an exam, sick as a dog in the dorms, or eating ramen for the fifth night in a row, you’ll really miss your mom and dad being around.
8. Become pen pals with your best friends. College can be hectic, so finding time to give every detail to your friends about the hottie in your dorm may be tough. Writing letters back and forth will let you say everything you need to without leaving anything out, and receiving mail always brightens your day!
9. Buy a camera if you don’t have one. If I could give one piece of advice to incoming college students, it would be to document everything. I’m only halfway done and I have no idea where the time has gone. Every crazy adventure you find yourself in, or just a fun night in, will be fun to reminisce about later.
10. Craft, craft, craft. Since you’ll only be alloted a small amount of space in your dorm, it obviously needs to be cute! Find some DIY projects on Pinterest, or make a cute photo collage. In IV, Halloween is the event of the year, so, start your costume early–make it as elaborate and unique as possible!
Bonus: Start an ice-breaker notebook! Think carefully, and write down ice-breakers for meeting new people. You don’t want to be unprepared and say something weird, making an undesirable first impression. However, meeting someone for the first time and immediately inquiring, “How much does a polar bear weigh?””Enough to break the ice…Hi, I’m _____!” might be equally as weird and uncomfortable. So, on second thought, don’t do this. Stick with the crafting.