In less than a week, campus will be flooded with thousands of new friendly faces! Students of different backgrounds and majors will come together to sing the war hymn, gather for Silver Taps, and wander the floors of Evans Library for the table with the outlet for some late night studying. Here are 20 ways you'll be able to tell the freshmen Aggies apart!

1. Exchanging Fish Camp details

You know you're a freshman when you start off conversations with strangers with "What Fish Camp did you go to??" Then you'll be shocked when you find out that someone was in the same camp as you and you bond over how cool/weird your counselors were with the tutus and the eyebrow piercings.

2. Applying for a FLO

A FLO (Freshmen Leadership Organization) is a great way to dive in and get involved on campus. You'll probably apply for 2, 3 . . . maybe 8, but either way you'll find where you belong. FLOs are an easy way to find friends that have something in common with you and they allow you to make lasting friendships. Some FLOs are for a certain major and others are open to all! Most freshmen do apply for a FLO, and those that get in, enjoy it for the most part and those who don't always find something else they love!

3. Getting super dressed up for a house party

Don't. A t-shirt (maybe even a cute casual shirt) and shorts are just fine, no one really cares what you wear, and you'll be more comfortable in a laid back look than high heels and a mini-skirt.

4. Stressing over finding a Midnight Yell date

Just go with your friends, have fun, yell as loud as you can and then get some good rest for the next day's festivities! If you find a date, cool, but don't sweat it; you won't be the only one without a date, I promise.

5. Getting lost on the first day to class

Something that I did to prepare for the first day: I walked around the Sunday before classes started and get familiar with the campus. I made sure I knew what buildings my classes were in and walked the route I would take to class. This way, I wasn't stressed about getting there, and my first day was that much easier.

6. Getting dressed up for the first day of class

Again, don't. Really, don't.

7. 3rd deck seats

No matter how early you get up for ticket pull (or camp out), you're almost guaranteed to get 3rd deck, so just sleep in.

8. Saying AAAAA!

Every time someone purposely slips in the number 20 into a sentence, you'll proudly throw your hands up in the air and yell AAAA. That is until it's April and people are still doing it...

9. Ordering overly priced textbooks

Biggest money saving tip: Look online, ask your older friends, do some research on prices before spending $400 on a textbook.

10. Reading every chapter of every textbook

For most of your classes, you don't need to. As the first few weeks pass, you'll figure out what the best and most time-efficient way to study for your classes

11. Buying textbooks and supplies you don't need

Don't get your textbooks or supplies before your first day of class. (UNLESS your prof specifically emails you before class telling you it's necessary, or you hear from an upperclassmen that's taken the class.) A lot of the time, you don't actually need that textbook and it's some money you can save!

12. Trying to perfect a Sbisa ice cream cone

I can't tell you the number of times my friends and I have tried to compete with one another to make the best ice cream cone at Sbisa. I always lose.

13. Putting a penny on Sully for the first time

If you don't already know, a common method to prepare for a test for Aggies is to put a penny on Sully on the way to the test for good luck! (Sully: The statue of a man that is in front of the Academic Building.)

14. Fangirling over the Queen, Miss Rev

Wait, everyone does this one.

15. Fangirling over the Yell Leaders

Again, everyone does it.

16. Becoming a boot chaser at some point

At some point in your freshmen year, you're going to see a corp boy and want to be his date to Midnight Yell, or the game. Maybe you'll spend a little extra time by the Quad or south side, and trust me, you're not the only one that's done it.

17. Lanyards with keys

For about the first week or two, you'll see freshmen Aggies wearing their student ID and dorm keys on a lanyard around their neck. Don' be one of those.

18. Fish Camp T-Shirts

Wearing the shirt you get at camp will be a tell-all sign that you're a freshman, but there's absolutely nothing wrong about it! (Free shirts are a college student's best friend)

19. (A-A-A-A-A!) Really wanting to Whoop, and maybe even sneaking one in

Let's be honest, it's super tempting to let out a loud Whoop, but you probably shouldn't unless you want to drop and give 20. Unless of course, you get JPs (junior privileges)!

20. Finally understanding the Spirit of Aggieland.

When you go to your first football game, Muster, or Silver Taps is when you will truly understand the "spirit that can ne'er be told" because frankly, "from the outside looking in, you can't understand it" and "from the inside looking out, you can't explain it."

Welcome to Aggieland, Class of 2020! Gig your first year!

With love,

A member of Class of 2019