My freshman year at FGCU was one of the best years of my life. From the people that I met to the memories we made; it was something that I’ll never get to experience again. As a freshman, everything is a novelty and presents itself as an exciting opportunity, and it’s important to take advantage of as many possibilities as you can.

Here are some foolproof ways to ensure that you’ll have the best freshman year ever, and get the most out of your first experience with FGCU.

Go to the waterfront as much as possible, never again will you have a beach in your backyard where you can rent free equipment throughout the year! From paddleboarding to kayaking, or just tanning, there’s something for everything there. You can even schedule a day out on the boat to go wakeboarding!

Don’t be afraid to get to know your RA and the people in your hallway outside of your roommate(s). Some of my best friends lived right down the hall, and it’s always good to have another room to go hang out in if your roommate is being annoying, loud, etc. The dorm buildings are usually where we meet our first friends at school- since these are the people you see every day. It’s never too early to start meeting new people!

Don’t kid yourself by thinking you’re going to dress up for class, and then walk all the way from the dorms to main campus. By the time you make it there, you’ll be a hot, sweaty mess. After a few weeks of attempting to look nice, I gave up and have spent the last two years of my college career in gym shorts and oversized t-shirts. #noragrets

Pack an umbrella in your backpack. Trust me. Florida can go from 0 to 100 in three seconds- and you don’t want to get drenched in a typical South Florida monsoon, and then have to go inside the excessively air conditioned buildings and freeze during class.

Go to more places than Rusty’s. South Florida has so much to see and experience…beyond Rusty’s Bar. Check out our beautiful beaches and nature preserves, eat at some of the best restaurants in Ft. Myers Beach, and go shopping in Coconut or Mercado. Grab some friends and go to a Miracles game, or go to SkyZone one afternoon. Trust me, there’s more to do here than hanging out on campus and going out to the bars at night.

Don’t buy any of your books from the bookstore…unless you have absolutely no choice. They charge SO much more than outside textbook renters, and while the bookstore may have some cool FGCU swag, it’s not worth spending $100 more on a textbook.

Go out and get involved! Check out the Involvement Fair, go to the Week of Welcome events, and join some clubs or organizations. Not only will it keep you busy and help you meet people, but it’s a great start to building the resume you’re going to need in a few years.

While SoVi Dining may seem great at first, I promise a day will come where you cannot stand the thought of eating their halfhearted french fries anymore. I essentially lived on limp salad for an entire year. Instead of being miserable and hungry, stock up your mini fridge with some quick, healthy meals, and if you’re lucky enough to live in a room with a kitchenette, take advantage of that area and make some meals in your room. If you and your roommates all do it together, it can make for a fun and healthy experience that, I promise, is so much better than SoVi.

Go to the gym! Never again will you have a gym that doesn’t charge for a membership, and that is so close. Grab some friends and go to a yoga class, or head over when your classes are done for the day. The freshman 15 is lethal, and this is a great resource to make sure that you stay active and healthy (and to make up for the ice cream station in SoVi Dining).

Talk to your professors! It doesn’t matter if you’re struggling in a class, or if you truly love the material that you’ve been studying, don’t hesitate to reach out to your professor. They’re literally required to have office hours solely so that students can come find them for these reasons, and oftentimes this is the most underutilized resource on campus. Plus, eventually you’re going to need letters of recommendation for grad school, internships, and jobs, and who better than someone who has taught you and seen you grow and succeed over the years?

Don’t stress- this is the easiest it will be. As scary as it sounds, college and life are only going to get more difficult as time goes on. This is your opportunity to feel things out, screw up a few times, and gain a better sense of yourself and your capabilities. Whether you learn that drinking on a Tuesday night is a bad idea, or discovering your love for your major, this is the time to learn from these experiences and grow, before heading out into the real world.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we’ll see you in the Fall.