Intro to Freshmen

 Kyle Holland – Editor-in-Chief of The Insider

 

 

Hangover Cures

As someone who’s NEVER drank on campus and doesn’t know anyone else, or even know anyone who know anyone else who’s ever drank on campus, this tip is for those who drink off-campus. And are of legal age, of course.

Just stay hydrated. Drink a glass of water every couple drinks and it will greatly reduce your hangover. Pop some aspirin in the morning and suck it up, because there’s not 100 percent cure.

 

 Study Tips

Go to class, first of all.

I made this mistake my freshman year, I’m not too proud to admit. It’s easy to blow off class and make it up the next time. Or even a couple classes in a row. But then you’re going to go in and not know what they’re talking about. Well, screw that. I mean, you’ve already missed a couple, you can miss one more. You’ll just catch up in the book so you won’t be lost when you go in next time. Whoops, forgot to read those eight chapters. It’s cool, you can miss this one. Whelp, didn’t go to that class for three weeks in a row, might as well just retake it next semester.

Don’t get started on this cycle.

Go to class.

Beyond that, they say to treat school like a job. Eight hours a day. As a freshman, you’re probably not going to need to put in all that time. But you do need to bang those chapters out that your teacher told you to read. I like to give myself twenty minutes or so after I get back from class to relax before I do homework or study. Get it done so you can actually watch “The League” guilt-free when it comes on at night.

 

Roommate Boundaries

Respect them. Your roommates are not your younger brothers or sisters, which means you can’t just beat them and shove them in a closet when they annoy you.

If they’re bothering you, be respectful yet firm when telling them why.

Tell them if they’re bothering you, by the way. Don’t let that stuff fester inside you until you go on a murdering spree.

Be respectful of them, too. Frankly, just be a decent human being and don’t have any volumes up too high or too late. Don’t eat their stuff.

You’re not contractually obligated to be their friend, either. Just don’t be scum.

Good, Clean Bathrooms

Millstein. Through the entrance to the right.

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Christy Walters – Writer and Assistant Editor of The Insider

 

• Lay off the lanyards. We all know you have dorm keys, we don’t need to see them 24/7.
• If you don’t drink, don’t rat out the people that do. If you’re worried about getting a knowingly present violation you can either
  • a.) leave
  • b.) go hide in your room/ pretend to be asleep if trouble arises or
  • c.) play dumb (“You mean they’re drinking Vodka??? I thought it was flavored water!)
• If you’re living here, do yourself a favor. Get a rug, an egg crate mattress topper and alternative sources of lighting.
• Only bring about half the clothes you think you’ll wear, because in reality you only need half of the half.

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Kevin Scrima – Writer for The Insider

Don’t be dependent on college and your professors to teach you something. The internet can also be a great college with educated people: Learn from reading articles on the internet; watch educational YouTube videos and Ted Talks; take free online classes or tutorials. Read books. Listen to audiobooks in the car while you drive instead of wasting your time listening to music you’ve heard thousands of times. Always try to expand your mind and be willing to learn something new. Be voracious in your desire for learning. Remember, education is what others do to you, and learning is what you do for yourself. Do something to yourself.

Don’t be afraid to change your major if you don’t like it. Recognize the Sunk Cost Fallacy, which basically states that the more you invest in something, the less likely you are going to stop investing in it. Don’t invest in something you won’t care about.

Always have this question in mind: What are you going to college for? Every step and action you take must bring you one step closer to that goal. If it doesn’t, then don’t do it. Follow your own yellow brick road.

When you are nearing the end of your senior year, you will (or at least should if you did this college thing right) be barely able to recognize yourself. You will have developed as an individual—and equally important, your character—far more than you could have ever imagined. That alone is worth going to college for four years.