It's August now, which means one thing: back-to-school time. For those of us who are upperclassmen, we’re not too apprehensive about heading back to campus (or going abroad, if the case may be!). We’ve “been there, done that” with the whole move-in thing, we’ve already registered for our classes, and we already know who we’re going to eat our obligatory first DUC meal with. If you’re a freshman, though, this experience is entirely different and in no way comfortable.

It’s the day after move-in. You’ve just said goodbye to your folks, and you’re sitting in your dorm room — alone for the first time. You sit there and wonder just how this place is ever going to feel like home and if there’s anything you can do to speed up that process.

Around early May in my senior year of high school, we had a mandatory forum where alumni from my high school who were on summer break from college came in for a panel to discuss acclimating to college. The absolute best piece of advice I heard that day was from a rising senior at UF. She said, “Show up,” and paused while she let these bright-eyed, soon-to-be high school graduates soak it in.

I had no idea what she meant. Show up to what? She explained that in college, you have to show up to stuff. The way you start feeling comfortable in a new place, meeting new people and joining interesting clubs/initiatives is by showing up. When you see someone’s Facebook profile photo with a flyer for the general body meeting for a club and it looks even remotely interesting, show up. When you're taking the elevator up to your room and you glance over a flyer with dates for a club sports team's first practice, show up. When a hallmate asks if you’d like to grab breakfast before that early chemistry lecture you have together, show up. When your academic adviser asks you if you’d like to meet throughout the semester to discuss your progress, show up. When your professor points out his/her office hours on the syllabus, take note of the days and location, because you’ll want to show up to those, too.

You get the point here. You just have to say “yes” and go to these opportunities. In every one of these circumstances, you could have answered in the negative and made up an excuse about how you're tired and/or have too much work to do. However, answering in the affirmative and taking a proactive approach to molding these first few days of freshman year will set you up for success in both short-term and long-term college endeavors.

Once you’re there, it’s easy. There will undoubtedly be another freshman who doesn’t know where to sit or who to talk to. There surely will be an eager upperclassmen who doesn’t recognize you and strikes up a conversation to get to know you. Even if there's not, be proactive and go introduce yourself to somebody. Part of showing up is being an active contributor to the setting.

So remember, say "yes," show up, and you never know if you'll find a fantastic professor who becomes your mentor, or your roommate for sophomore year, or a club you'll fall in love with and want to be president of your senior year. You'll never know unless you show up.