Dear 2020,
I know you are excited to be accepted into the greatest university in the world, but there are a few things that you really need to know before you step foot onto this campus.
Get football tickets
Even if you don’t know anything about football get tickets. Someone will teach you. Get a copy of "Football for Dummies." Watch it until you get it. Football is really important once you are a member of the bulldog nation, so learn it. Also football games are fun, even if you don’t know anything about football or pay attention to the game, so just go and cheer! Go dawgs!
Get involved on campus
Getting involved is so important. It helps you meet new people, build your resume, and find your passions. There is a club for literally everything on campus. You like event planning? There’s Union. You like advocacy? There’s IMPACT. When you get here find your passion and get involved.
Walk through your classes before the first day of classes
Do not think that you can just walk onto campus and know how to get everywhere just using the UGA app and Google maps. Download the app and walk your classes the day before the first day. It will help you so much on the first day. Do not be that person that walks in 30 minutes late just because you didn’t map out your classes and find out where you were supposed to be.
Learn the bus schedule
Buses can be tricky. I still don’t know the entirety of the bus schedule (the night route is hard), but you should know how to get to your next class in 15 minutes and if you have to take a bus to get there, know which buses go where. But always bear in mind that the UGA app has your back if you ever mess up.
Don’t buy T-shirts
You will get a million free T-shirts on campus. Whether it is from Union events, Resident halls, or your sorority or fraternity, there is a free shirt with your name on it. By the end of the year, your T-shirt count is going to go from 10 to 80 before you know it.
Always ask for a student discount.
Almost everywhere has a student discount. Banana Republic, movie theaters, Apple, you name it they probably offer some sort of student discount. Never be afraid to ask because 20 percent off goes a long way. When you are a broke college student, you take every dime you can get.
Get close to an upperclassman
They already went through a lot of the stuff that you are going through this year and can help you through it. They can open doors for you and lead you to opportunities you didn’t know you could have at your age. They can also serve as an example for you. Literally, having upperclassmen friends is the best thing that you can do.
Keep your door open the first week of school.
The dorms are such an easy way to meet new and amazing people. I met my best friend by just walking into her room. Don’t worry about putting yourself out there because no one knows anyone and everyone is just as nervous as you. Don’t just cling to your roommate.
Get a rain jacket and an umbrella
Not having a rain jacket on campus is the worst thing possible. Georgia is known for its unpredictable weather and there will be plenty of game days and late nights in the MLC accompanied by rain. You may think that those Hunter boots are basic, but you are going to wish you had them when you are trying to cross the river that Lumpkin becomes in the rain.
