It's been one crazy week. I moved out of state to my temporary home where I only know my older brother. Not only has this experience been thrilling and nerve-racking but also so educational. My everyday life has changed more than I could have imagined. Learning through experience, I still know nothing, but I have at least 5 solid pieces of advice.
1. Go with a random roommate.
As insane as it might sound, a random roommate is the way to go (it was for me, anyway). Not only do I have the opportunity to meet her whole circle of friends, if I did't end up liking living with her I was't going to lose a friend. However, my roommate has turned out hella great. Her mad fresh playlists, her style, her connections to so many incoming students are just a few of her perks. This does't even include how kind and thoughtful she is to someone she met barely a week ago--me!
2. Take the Stairs.
The "Freshman Fifteen" is a dreaded and reoccurring horror story. First year students packing on pounds after an overload of sweets and fried comfort food. Not gonna lie, I was nervous. Then the sweet salvation of forced recreation came down upon me. My roommate takes the stairs EVERY SINGLE TIME. We live on the seventh floor. Her straightforward avoidance of the elevator is a surefire way to avoid those extra pounds, and honestly my legs are already showing more definition.
3. Open Door Policy.
In your dorm room, don't close yourself off to new friends. My roomie and I always have our door open. You never know when someone is gonna walk by and stop for a chat. I have already managed to meet some great people just in the last week. An open door and an open mind is the one of the easiest ways to meet people and make true, open friends.
4. Look out for one another.
Have I talked about how great my roommate is yet? Well, as if you don't already know, my roommate is sweet, but she's also looking out for my safety. For example earlier this creep was totally hitting on me and "drinking my Kool-Aid" as my roommate says. I was so not into it. I'm really lucky, because roomie to the rescue defrayed the situation and we moved on with our night. We learned it's okay to say no to a group that you are just not "gelling" with or an activity that sounds totally un-amusing. The key is to look out for and protect each other.
5. Silver and gold.
The age-old saying "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold" is true. Despite how many new fresh faces I've met, I still keep my friends back home close to my heart. Never will they be replaced, only multiplied. I am so fortunate that the campus I now call home pulls some of the nicest people I have ever met. Community is not something that is taken lightly and was one of the reasons I was drawn here. I can feel a year of memories and friendships about to be made.
Embracing the new is always difficult; the first week of college is so unique. I promise everyone feels just as awkward as you do. Be nothing less than yourself because no one knows your secrets or your past. Take this time to become everything you've imagined; I know that's what I'm about to do.
