Well everyone, it’s your first year out and about on your own in The Holy City (and the #1 city in America by Travel and Leisure - but I’m sure you knew that already.) I’m sure you’ve been told the same things over and over again by parents, teachers and upperclassmen: “studying over partying”, “don’t get too drunk”, “get involved”. While all of this is good advice, its good for any college students. Charleston is a pretty special place, so there are some special things that rising freshmen should know.

First things first: watch where you’re walking, and to be honest, even when you do watch, you’ll trip anyway. The cobblestone sidewalks are dangerous. I know, you think you’ll never do it, but you will. It’s a freshman thing, and nobody seems to really adapt all that quickly. Quite honestly, I’ll probably continue to do so as a sophomore too, because I’m just THAT clumsy.

Since we are on the subject of walking, you should always have a pair of rain boots handy in your dorms. Charleston rain is something else; one hour, you think you may have to take a canoe to class from serious storms and flooding, but then the next, the sun is shining bright. Just know that rain boots are a great investment. Seriously.

Charleston is also the perfect place to be yourself. Yes, I know you’ve been harassed 1,000 times to get involved, but at CofC, you can do that in seriously any way. There’s even a cheese club. Yes, a cheese club. There’s something for everyone, and if you have some crazy club idea that isn’t yet there, you can start your own. And hey, maybe you’ll be the future president of the cheese club. Who knows?

Speaking of food, as we know, food is a huge part of Charleston culture, so it’s really easy to spend an insane amount of money on yummy (but perhaps a bit pricey) shrimp and grits. Sure, treat yourself every once in a while, but ask around to see where the best places to eat are when you’re not swiping at the dining hall (and definitely get acclimated with what’s good in the dining halls—some things are definitely a lot more decent than others! And you can never go wrong with the Chobani Greek Yogurt Bar.) Many restaurants around campus give discounts to students, and places like everyone’s favorite sandwich shop, Five Loaves, even take off-campus meal plans (which really aren’t necessary for freshman year, but it’s good to know about for the future!).

Lastly, for now, take advantage of the beautiful Charleston scenery. Take a walk off-campus to Waterfront Park or The Battery to study. Or if you don’t want to go that far, The Cistern and Rivers Green are both cozy on-campus places to study and chat with friends!

College is such an incredible time and it’s going by way too fast for me, and I’m sure it’ll do the same for you! Take advantage of The College of Charleston in every way you can!