This time a year ago I was in a frenzy searching for a notary to sign my waiver to exempt me from having to live in the dorms at OU. While a part of me was disappointed to miss out on dorm life and making friends with my suite-mates, the larger part of me was desperate to shave $10,000 off of my school bill by staying at home. Flash forward a year and it's a decision that I still stand by. After hearing all of the horror stories from friends at different universities about pot-lucking it and ending up with terrible roommates, let's just say that I'm relieved that I don't have to share a bathroom with anyone else.
One of the downsides of living off campus that I didn't anticipate was how many social opportunities I would miss out on by only being on campus for three hours a day. With nearly a year of college experience under my belt, here are a few things I would recommend to incoming freshmen that will be living at home.
1. Take the time to wander campus before the beginning of the semester
This might seem like a no-brainer, especially if you're from the town where your university is located, but it's worth it in the long run. Spend some time walking the campus a few days before classes start and try to learn what buildings are which. If you're anything like me, you find the buildings that hold your classes, map out a route and truck it across campus for the semester without even thinking about other buildings until your schedule changes again. It's valuable to have at least an idea of where everything is so that whenever your study group decides to meet at the union, you're not wandering around the South Oval at 7:30 p.m. to embarrassed to ask for directions.
2. Join a club or three
The best way to find your niche is to go to events sponsored by like-minded people with shared interests. Don't let going into that first meeting by yourself deter you from showing up at all. This is the best way to meet people and have the opportunities to work under a larger organization that will provide you with resume builders and activities to break up the monotony of studying for midterms.
3. Go to events you see posted on bulletin boards
The beautiful thing about attending a university with such a large student body is that there's no shortage of student organization sanctioned events. Above every water fountain, seating area and WEPA printer there's bound to be a collage of flyers advertising some event that probably has free food. Even if it's not an organization you're a part of I highly recommend stopping in between classes to check it out or grabbing a friend and making a night of a multicultural show. It's a great way to get a feel for the different vibes of organizations and meet new people.
4. Stay on campus for as long as you can
Something that I learned three months into first semester is that coming home straight after class isn't conducive fostering independence. As appealing as a midday nap might sound after getting yourself up and out the door for 8:30 class, that time could be much better spent working on homework at the union, Fuzzy's or better yet in the Great Reading Room at the Bizzell Library. The more time you spend on campus and out of the house, you become immersed in campus life and it becomes easier to acclimate to college life and gain an even greater sense of self.
To all of the incoming freshmen who won't be living on campus this fall, I hope that you find this advice helpful as you adjust to the new part of your life.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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