If you stay on Baylor’s campus during the summer, you’ll eventually run into all of the line camps and orientation sessions being held daily here. They will have you reminiscing about the good ole days and what you were like as an incoming freshman. There are a lot of things I wish I knew then, so for any of those young adults (kids) scrolling through Facebook right now or any older college students that simply want to nod their heads in agreement, here are a few pointers for the next few months to come.
1. Don’t wear the “I Know Where I’m Going” shirt. Ever.
2. Don’t use a lanyard to carry around your student I.D. or your keys. They’re very “high school.”
3. Walk your schedule the day before school starts. Campus may not be huge, but it’s big enough to be confusing on the first few days. You’ll get the hang of it eventually.
4. Go to line camp. You’ll create great memories. If you don’t go, you’ll miss out on those opportunities.
5. Participate in every single Baylor tradition. We have some really great ones here and they’re extremely meaningful. Freshman mass meeting. Running the line. Tortilla tossing. Fountain hopping (only at line camp though).
6. Take advantage of the dining halls. Get food from there to go for later — milk, cereal, fruit, etc.
7. Who you get as a professor is more important than class times. If the best professor is only offered at 8:00 a.m., take them.
8. The professors here are great and they truly care about your education, but make sure you don’t ignore your opinion, even if it is different from your professor’s. Be open to knowledge and possible change, but keep in mind that college is about forming your own thoughts as well.
9. College is all about making friends and sometimes the “fast friendship” is the best one. However, be careful about who you give your trust and heart over to. As I said before, college is all about change and you don’t know how those people will change in the next few years, or even the next few months.
10. The bookstore now has Amazon price matching for their books, but still look online before going and spending your life’s savings there.
11. Take advantage of on-campus activities. Tea meet and greets, midnight breakfasts, public speakers, etc. You’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll have, the people you’ll meet, and how much you would miss if you didn’t attend.
12. Take some random fun courses with your free extra credit courses. Take a lifetime fitness class you never thought you would do like rock climbing or camping. This is the one chance in your life where you have a million classes at your disposal and can take (mostly) whatever you like. Don’t leave here without taking a chance on a new, different, and exciting class.
13. No one is having as much fun as it appears on their social media accounts. Don’t let FOMO take over your life and be okay with staying in and having a lazy night.
14. Confide in your teachers. They’re there to help. You will be amazed at the opportunities they can present to you if you just ask: great advice, internships, connections, a good letter of recommendation, and more.
15. TV and movies may make it look like pulling all-nighters is the norm in college. That is the case … sometimes. Mostly, it’s only during midterms or finals that that happens. Any other times than those, get some sleep!
16. What you major in now is always open to change, or not. You may know exactly what you want to do and never change your major. That is fine! It’s also okay if you change it, though. Don’t be so set on being a doctor or an engineer that you waste your time learning something that you don’t actually love to do.
17. Watch what you eat. The freshman 15 is a real thing.
18. Go to your professor’s office hours! Seriously! They appreciate it so much more than you think! I can’t tell you the amount of times that I have done poorly on an assignment, but simply because I went in and talked to my professor and showed initiative, they gave me extra credit or helped me understand it better.
19. Pay attention in class. I know high school made you rebellious about sneaking your phone in class, but don’t be so disrespectful that you aren’t even paying attention to your teacher. You are at college to learn, not play on social media.
20. I know everyone at Baylor is big into studying abroad, but it’s okay if you don’t go. If you can do it and want to do it, then for sure go! It’s a big thing at Baylor and if you’re not a part of it, you definitely could feel left out, but really, It’s no big deal. Do summer school, gain lots of credit, graduate successfully, and have an awesome career, then you can go travel abroad all you want.
