FACT: UGA is the best campus in the world. The campus scenery is beautiful and walking to class while enjoying the feeling of community shared among students is amazing but after two years here I’ve encountered several reoccurring ever-so-minor faux pas committed by UGA students that make me want to pull my hair out and scream “WHYYY?!?”. I decided to make this list of suggestions and tips for how to act like a respectable, socially functioning person while on campus.

Hold the door – it’s just not that difficult. If you see someone walking within ten feet behind you, hold the door. Even if you are running late to class, sparing three extra seconds to keep the door open for a stranger will not ruin your attendance record. Holding the door is simple way to say to your fellow students, “hey, I’m a semi-decent human being”, small gestures can make a sometimes-overwhelming campus seem a little warmer.

Personal Space – be aware of your backpack. There are few things worse that sitting on the packed Milledge bus and having someone continuously hit you in the head with their massive backpack. It could be argued that these students, the “Massive-Backpackers”, are forced into these uncomfortable encounters because there is either nowhere else to put the backpack or aren’t aware they are hitting anyone...as a frequent victim of the “Massive-Backpacker” (shout-out to the girl whonails me in the head with the massive water bottle attached to her massive backpack every MWF in ADPR, this one is for you), I’m just not really buying it. You can take your backpack off and put it in between you feet or hold it in you hands. And there is no way “massive backpackers” don’t realize when they hit other students with their backpacks. If I can feel it when I get whacked in the head with a backpack then so can the backpack wearer. If you or a loved one might be a “massive-backpacker”, please seek help. Here are some common signs to look for if you think you might be a Massive-Backer. You might be a “Massive Backpacker” if you are:

• Occasionally experiencing invisible “force fields” when in crowded areas – this isn’t Fantastic Four and Jessica Alba is probably not standing behind you, that is probably the sensation of your book bag about to fracture someone’s skull.
• Hearing people angrily mutter “oww”, “this kid…”, “MY EYE” or “that’s gonna leave a bruise” more than 4 times a day in your general vicinity
• Getting dirty looks from people hurriedly walking away from you while rubbing their head – these are the likely victims of your fracture-inducing backpack – its better for your back if you leave those bricks at home anyways

Headphone Volume – When you are in the library, SLC, in class or on the bus, keep your volume at a semi-respectable level. Hearing “Hotline Bling” blare from someone’s headphones from across the room while studying on the fourth floor (the silent floor) of the SLC is not going to better my life or help me do any better on my Marketing exam so please be respectful and keep it down!!

The Fourth Floor Quiet Area in the SLC – I could be misinformed but I was always told that the fourth floor was a silent study area. Most of the time it is a wonderful place to study but I occasionally run into those kids who have decided that 1 AM the day before midterms would be a GREAT time to invite all their close friends to a study room on the fourth floor and hold a screaming match to see who can yell the loudest. I realize that cramming at 1 AM the night before a big exam is a poor move on my part but the SLC is a haven for students who get distracted studying at home, get distracted studying in their room or get distracted when thirty people are yelling in a study room at 1 AM. For the sake of all my fellow 1 AM panic-studiers, you are welcome to have a screaming match with all your BFFs anywhere else in the entire world!! But please respect the quiet sanctity of the fourth floor SLC.

Crunchy/Pungent-Smelling Food in Class/Study Areas – I don’t miss meals and I’m not what you would call a “trooper”, when I’m hungry, I turn into a supreme grouch so I completely understand students bringing food into class and into study areas. What I don’t get is why people choose to eat foods like Doritos, loudly and with their mouth open, in small classrooms and study areas. Call me crazy, but listening to the wet crunching of chips in English class during a lecture is not my deal.

Personal Hygiene in the dining halls – hand scanners are germ magnates and watching someone cough, sneeze or wipe their nose and then place their hand directly on the hand scanner right before you are about to enter the dining hall is an experience I had to live through too many times freshman year. They make hand sanitizer that fits on keys now and it’s a beautiful thing. Also tissues.

Dropping of/picking up friends – campus gets pretty hectic during the middle of the day and sometimes it really hurts to pay the $5 parking to park in the Tate deck but the answer is NOT to have your friend drive you and stop in the middle of the road to drop you off while cars and students alike are stuck in the middle of the road. It becomes very awkward for the cars behind you who, as the light turns, are forced to either mow down students crossing the street or get flattened by oncoming traffic so PLEASE pull into the turn around area of Tate or drop them off in a parking lot across the street. College consists of enough hard decisions; not having to decide between having to flatten your friend or be flattened by an oncoming semi when I’m just trying to get to Chickfilay would make college a little bit more manageable.

Cars stopping at student crosswalks during rush hours – there has to be something around 10,000 traffic lights on campus and downtown and I dislike the constant starting/stopping as much as the next person but if you choose to drive on campus from, say, the hours of 9AM-4PM from Monday-Saturday, throwing your hands up in annoyance at students crossing the street at crosswalks or refusing to stop at crosswalks is just so not the move. There are so many ways to get around Athens in a car but few ways to get to class while walking. To those people who are in a hurry and choose to drive through North Campus on a Monday at 12…..students have the ride-of-way at crosswalks, calm yourself and maybe next time don’t drive through North Campus. You’re annoyance is not going to make me walk any faster.

Awkward Eye Contact & Daytime vs. Nighttime friends – chances are, if you know you at nighttime, I probably also know you during the day. If you make eye contact with someone you know, at least smile! Even if you can’t quite remember their name

Small gestures of kindness and basic etiquette go a long way. UGA is an incredible place full of incredible students but sometimes we forget that UGA is not just our individual home – it is our home to share. Respecting our peers and remembering to use those manners grandma spent all those years drilling into our heads can further improve the UGA experience! We are a family here at UGA and every strong family unit is centered around respect and consideration. So next time you are feeling those 11:45 AM hunger pangs in class, before you eat those chips, take a second and consider, “how would I like it if the kid next to me crunched Doritos loudly in my ear for the next hour?” chances are, probably not very much!