It is not enough that I already feel old writing this, but I also cannot imagine a more nerve-wracking week than the first week of college classes starting -- well other than recruitment week, but that is a whole other story. The first week of your college classes never get old -- unlike you do as your time on campus grows -- and is full of never-ending questions.
I don't know about anyone else, but I DREAD the first day of classes. I always check to see who will be in my class, since ya know Butler gives us that beautiful participants page on Moodle, and it never seizes to amaze me the number of people I usually do not know it any of my classes. Honestly, it's kind of like going on a first date -- you never really know how the hour is going to go. Will you be out by the time you told your friends you would be? Will they go over every little detail on the syllabus for that one kid who chose not to read over it at all -- I mean come on it's not hard to look over it for .2 seconds. Or will you see Chad from Sigma Apple Pie and honestly want to melt away because you have had a crush on him since the beginning of Welcome Week.
The first week of school is one of the craziest. You go straight from Welcome Week into classes and it can be a hard transition for some. Even for someone who has been on campus for three years now, I still have a hard time transitioning from my summer schedule to my school one. The first day of a college class is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of any young adults life since you never know exactly what you are going to expect.
I highly suggest going to class at least 15 minutes early, that way so you can chill outside the classroom, maybe meet some people in the class, and also make sure that you are not about to enter into the wrong room. Save your money and time by making yourself coffee -- your bank account will thank you later. Enjoy the walk to class, it will not be like that every day, especially with Indiana's funky weather.
My biggest piece of advice for anyone going into their first week of college is to play it completely cool. Walking into the wrong classroom happens to the best of us. Coming to class five minutes late because you needed that extra two seconds of sleep may not be for everyone, but for some, they are still getting used to the difference in scheduling. College is a fun and exciting way to find out who you are as a person, learn what you like and what you don't, and be able to follow your dreams.
What I am saying is do not come to class late, ignore your professors or waste your time being on campus. Not only does any of that not look good on you, but then it shows others that you do not care about those around you or yourself really. So go to class early, talk to those around you, and do not be afraid to stand out ever so slightly from the rest.
College is an incredible journey and the first week of classes is one of the most crucial parts since it plays a huge role in how your semester is going to go. You not only get to reunite with some buddies, but you get to make some more cool friends too. The first week of college is always one of the best times of one's college history because you never know what stories you will be able to look back on.
