It's always easy to tell who's new to a university, especially during the first week of school. Being nose-deep in a multi-folded paper schedule and standing still in the middle of a crowded hallway with a face of desperation isn't the only indicator. Forget the UCF lanyard around your neck and the fact that you're donning a backpack on the first day of school... It's in your AURORA. We upperclassmen see you, freshmen, and you really can't hide.

But, here's the thing. Who cares? At one point or another, we were all in your shoes. I walked onto this campus three years ago and I couldn't even find the Student Union. I came to school over an hour early because I knew it would take me at least thirty minutes to get to where I needed to be – when in actuality, it should have taken me only 10 minutes.

The fact of the matter is, you can't cover up your "freshman-ness" because we know your class-ranking the minute you step off that shuttle, or get out of your car with your "R/RL/KP" parking decal. Knowing and accepting the unavoidable will only make this transition easier. Let's get the negative stigmas out of the way: upperclassmen do NOT hate you. We've been you. We've made the mistake of dinning at Knightro's, and hey, we've also tried – unsuccessfully – to getting into Library under the age of 18. Your first year is the craziest, it's filled with all your "firsts"; the first tailgate, the first college midterm, your first final, and perhaps even your first failure. 

College is daunting and complicated and a whirlwind of emotions and possibly, the most fun you will ever have in your entire life. So, again, who cares if you're new here? You're on your way to experiencing the greatest years of your life – you just have to get acclimated. And you will become accustomed to it all. You'll figure out that leaving 30 minutes before your class to find parking isn't the best idea during peak hours (11am-noon) and you'll learn that everyone faces roommate problems. 

You will make mistakes and you will become a better person through them. You will learn, and more importantly, you will grow. One day you too will be a jaded upperclassmen and when you pass the freshmen of 2019 and beyond, you too will smile inwardly. Embrace your "newness", embrace your status; you don't get to keep it forever.