September 5th, 2017. It was an average warm Boston day.

I stepped onto the Boston University Shuttle, huddled tightly with fellow Terriers which were also headed to class. My head swiveled to see someone, a girl, with red puffy eyes. She didn't have any tears pouring down her cheeks, but I wish I asked if she was okay instead of turning away to avoid eye contact.

Now, I don't know if she was actually a freshman because I didn't talk to her. She could've been a junior who had just broken up with her boyfriend, or maybe she just had a stray eyelash, but today was September 5th, the first day of classes. Being thrown into a crowd of strangers on a college campus is a pretty good reason to cry.

I should know, I was just a freshman 9 months ago. I remember walking into the Bay State dining hall for the first time without even knowing how to swipe in. I placed my card on the finger print scanner and lifted it up before trying again. It wasn't until the worker by the gates looked up and helped me out. Even inside, I was afraid because of all the people seemingly knowing each other. I wasn't aware of how the lines worked. I grabbed a hamburger from the grill station, sat down by myself, ate hurriedly, and left. It didn't even occur to me that there was a second level!

It took weeks for me to get used to the dining hall, let alone living alone on campus far away from home for the first time. Honestly, even as a sophomore, I still had the first day fuzzies. Freshman year is tough on college freshmen, especially introverts that have a tough time making friends. We know the feeling. We were all freshmen at one point. I was lucky to have a person or two to lean on from high school, but others might not be so lucky. If you spot someone that appears to need a hand, be warm and friendly and help them out. I know I wish I did.

And if you are a freshman, it'll be alright. It definitely takes time to get used to the large campus and the city of Boston. But be assured, your professors understand and they'll definitely take it easy on you for a month or so. Ask anyone, and they'll agree. BU is a pretty crazy place.