I remember getting the big booklet with #AppSaidYes on it and feeling overwhelmed with excitement. After my graduation lunch/celebration I went straight to the mall and spent hours shopping for things for college. I was that excited for college, that excited for Appalachian State University. But being a freshman all over again is scary. You have to learn the ropes of the school, the tricks, the shortcuts and the what-not-to-dos when it comes to certain professors. So here's just a few tips and tricks of how to survive freshman year at Appalachian State University.
1. Bring Quarters![]()
It costs $1.25 to wash your clothes and a $1.25 to dry your clothes, and unless you want to use the money on your express account, bring quarters!
2. Don't bring all of your winter clothing/essentials up with you when you move in.
Unless you're someone who doesn't have easy access to home, then this one doesn't apply to you. But we have about two breaks before the weather turns from cold to awful in Boone. So you have our mini fall break and our days off for Thanksgiving to switch your wardrobe, that way your closet and drawers aren't throwing up from being overfilled and you won't be overwhelmed when packing to go back home. (And you can always do the switch again during spring break!)
3. The 3rd floor of the library is actually terrifying.
Unless you want 87 percent of the people on the floor contemplating on how they'll kill you, I'd suggest not opening any drinks or food on the 3rd floor. Don't cough, sneeze or blink, ya know what, don't even breathe while you're up there.
4. Use the tutoring services!
Tutoring is free! Just walk your happy butt to the second floor of DD Dougherty (located near the steps before the library) and fill out a form! You'll never fail a class again! Unless you don't take advantage of this then you might, I don't know.
5. Get involved.
There's half a billion clubs and organizations on campus, so getting involved is a great way to meet new people and have fun your freshman year. Whether it's greek life, SGA, a cappella groups, Young Life, whatever it may be, you should definitely find your little niche!
6. McAlister's on West side is open longer that the one on East side and it's open on Sundays... you're welcome.
If you haven't had McAlister's yet, you'll thank me for this later.
7. During room checks, they're not allowed to go through your stuff... do with that what you will.
Just in case you need to hide some candles or something :-)
8. Don't piss off or get on any of your building's RA's bad sides.
I promise you will 100 percent regret this on a Saturday night in the future.
9. All the best places to sled on West side!
The hills near Eggers hall, suicide hill, and wherever else you can think of is probably on West side. If you live on West side, you'll probably meet half of the campus when it snows.
10. I don't know if you believe in superstitions or not, but it's believed that if you rub the bell before exams you'll pass them.
Look all I'm saying is I was making a D in Chemistry and I rubbed the bell before my final and I made a B on it. Guess who ended up with a B- in Chemistry after that?
11. I promise you, you think you can do that 8 a.m., but you can't.
I don't know if you guys have seen this tweet that's been flying around that's like, "You may think you can do an 8 a.m., you may even think you can do a 9 a.m., but honestly, you can't even do a 10 a.m." and if I ever had to describe college, I'd show you that tweet. *Insert 'You think you can do these things, but you just can't, Nemo' quote*
12. Bring your own toilet paper!!
Now before all of you start freaking out and think "wait isn't there cleaning staff that provide that?!?!?!?!?" Yes, and they do a fabulous job. But they don't come in on the weekends, and for some reason college kids use an unusual amount of toilet paper (I blame it on Central) and sometimes you run out! So when you run into the bathroom stall on a Sunday and realize there's no toilet paper, if you bring your own, you'll be thanking me later.
Good luck to you, Freshie! We've all done it and survived, I mean barely, but we did it. It'll be the worst best year of your life and I'm so excited for you to experience it at Appalachian State! Good choice, if I do say so myself.
