It is everyone's fear. After moving in and roommates and spending all your money on textbooks, nobody wants to be "that freshman". Straight out of high school, everyone going into college has picked up some bad habits that upperclassmen have already thrown to the side. So not only does the first day have those jitters, those jitters cause our inner high schooler to come out to play. With some quick attention to detail, you can too play it cool on that first day of your new life.
First, let's start with the week before classes. Make sure to get a solid idea of where your classes are or at least what they look like. This means leaving your very comfy dorm to explore the campus around you. Or if you're like me and feeling extra lazy, look up pictures of the buildings. What does this do for you? You won't be looking down at your phone and back up at the buildings looking like a lost little lamb. And everyone knows that face you make. Scared. Confused. Stressed. Pre-planning is everything.
Next, please for all things holy, don't whip out your brand-new MacBook Air and begin typing as soon as the professor introduces themselves. Especially on syllabus week, nothing is really that important for you to concern yourself with typing it away. Syllabus week is all about coming to an understanding of what the class is going to be like for the rest of the semester. Therefore, your eyes AND your ears are needed in order to do so. Besides, not paying attention to the teacher on the first day really isn't going to put you in that great of a spot.
With searching for your classes, another thing people do on their first few days is to travel in huge packs of people. Not only does this call attention to yourself, it just slows down the process of getting to class. Furthermore, anybody who is trying to walk around you and your giant group will genuinely hate you at that given moment in time.
Along with respect, comes respect to yourself, get up a decent amount of time before your first class for the day begins. Running to class because you woke up ten minutes ago is behavior most suited for the midpoint of the semester, not for the first week. It can be a much better experience if you are able to give yourself plenty of time to get something to eat and get where you need to go without rushing.
Finally, the biggest fault of any freshie, and it is only one word and one word only. Lanyards. Please, just don't. Whenever upperclassmen see this, they instantly know that you're a freshman. There are many different alternatives to this, with one being a regular wallet. Displaying your name and your ID to everyone you pass by doesn't sound like the best of plans. Who needs a nametag 24/7 anyway?
College is a brand-new experience for any first-year student but with this first year comes a learning curve. With these tips, you'll be ahead of the rest and be able to get that much-desired respect everyone wants coming into this new life.
