Lauren Miller

If you thought the transition to high school was rough, imagine somewhere 10x more challenging where you don’t know anyone, you’re miles away from home, and the textbooks aren’t free. Welcome to college! But rest assured college isn’t all work and no play.

There are two crucial days that set the course for your whole college experience. These two days are orientation (depending on the school this could be several days long or just several hours) and the first day of classes (which technically is two days since you’ll most likely rotate classes on the different days of the week). Alright, so we’ll just say that the first week is critical in setting yourself up for the ultimate college experience.

Here’s my guide of what to look out for when settling in at school. Take it or leave it, but trust me you do not want to make the same mistakes I did (or maybe you do because they make for fun party stories).

First topic: Dreaded Dorm Living. More than likely, you’ll be stuck with a roommate you’ve never met. No matter what your school tries to tell you, the housing department did not look at the surveys you filled out. I’m convinced they pick two names out of a hat and fill up the rooms that way. The best way to play the roommate game is to be bluntly honest the first day and set rules that will help avoid fights later on. And make sure to make friends in your hallway. It’s always good to know who will have the extra tampon or condom when you need one.

Oh, and when mother nature decides to dump buckets of snow on you; it’s nice to have someone to play Uno and share snacks with.

Next dilemma: Orientation. This will be the most boring hours or days you’ll have to sit through. At least there’s usually free food, which you will learn to love in college. The one thing you will get out of orientation, however, is a whole slew of face book friends. Some of the people you meet you may never see again, some may end up being in your classes and some may become your best friends. The key is to remember that everyone is in the same situation.

The third dilemma: Getting Involved. You’re in college now, so in theory, there are no college admissions boards to impress with mile long resumes. Getting involved in organizations and clubs on campus can be a great place to meet people of similar interests. Between greek life and school events you are once again bound to come across free food.

And last? This one may be the whole reason you’re going to school. Classes are important, but the key here is not to stress over them. When you begin to stress about homework, professors and essays, that’s when you do fail tests and break out. Neither is very pleasant. The first day of classes get the number of three people in your class. These people can be extremely helpful for study buddies or to proof read homework.

Second, buy your books before you get to class (if you know what to buy)…on Amazon…so you get the $.50 books instead of the $500 books.

Above all, enjoy yourself. College is your last four years before you have to be an actual adult. Live it up and enjoy the ride!