Ah, freshman year (excuse me, the technical term is first-year student). I do not think there was a time when I felt more anxious than my first days in Ross Hall. Aside from the bombardment of ice breakers that never seem to end, and the horrifying rumors of how terrible the food is, as you silently sit thoroughly enjoy Atherton’s underappreciated pizza, there is a tiny little knot in your stomach. There is so much you do not know. ‘Are the classes in college really that much harder than high school?’ ‘Why are there attractive people coming in and out of fancy looking houses with weird letters?’ ‘Why do I miss my dog more than my family?’ ‘Why does everyone hate on Atherton pizza so much?’

That little knot in your stomach that you so desperately want to expunge is not working against you. Trust me, whatever you do, try not to fight it because it is not going away for a while. You may go to your first week of classes and think, "This isn’t too bad. ' Don’t get your guard down, for in three weeks’ time when those first tests come rolling in, you might not be in the same mindset. Or you may go to get a mediocre pizza at Hot Box with your newly-found friends, and think, ‘We’re inseparable!!!’ when 99.9 percent of all first-week college friend groups end up splitting and going their own ways.

I do not mean to make you more nervous, but try and understand that you do not know a lot about Butler or the student culture yet. That is okay. It is okay to break off from your current friend group to hang out with people you feel more comfortable with. It is okay to not know any of the Greek Houses, where they are on campus or if they are even a fraternity or sorority. It is okay to express your satisfaction with Atherton pizza and dissatisfaction with Hot Box despite what your ‘friends’ say. It is okay to be nervous about your classes, and it is okay to not know what you want to do with your life yet. Every. Thing. Will. Be. Okay. Understand that you are in a new environment and it is natural to feel nervous. Try not to fight that knot in your stomach, for it will go away eventually. In the meantime, keep hanging out with your friends, worrying about classes and eating Atherton pizza. You will figure it out, get in your own groove, and have a great time here at Butler.