Dear MCLA Class of 2020,

Whether you're set to live in Berkshire Towers or Hoosac Hall or are commuting from home, your freshman year of college is about to begin! The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (sung in the tune of our MCLA jingle, which you'll eventually hear at school and get stuck in your head) is a place full of warm smiles, great education and lots of hills. Your first year in North Adams will bring a lot of things -- like an addiction to Subway that turns into hating it by the end of the semester, suddenly becoming an expert mapmaker in your head to navigate the underground tunnel system in the winter, and probably trying to put any combination of Aramark desserts on top of a Belgium waffle.

Before you arrive on campus this Fall, there are a few things you should probably know. When you're out with your roommate and they have their key, you'll probably wonder why you should need to bring yours, right? Wrong. Keep both your keys and your ID on you at all times. You never know when you're going to need it, and it's an essential to travel anywhere on campus and off.

I know you think you can resist spending all of your declining balance at the P.O.D., but the truth is, you're weaker than you think. You will find yourself walking back to your room after College Writing II one day and you'll look in the window in the marketplace and you will see some sort of food or drink that you feel like you'll die without. And why not buy it? You have a ton of declining balance left, right? Wrong. It will be gone before you know it, and that's a fact. No one escapes this freshman year mistake. Conserve.

Get your emails sent as notifications to your phone and take advantage of your free admission to MassMoCA.

Last, but not least, do not, and I mean do not, eat a chicken patty sandwich every day. I know they're delicious in all their processed frozen fried chicken glory, but they will get old very quickly. Beware of the chicken patty lunch slump.

During freshman year, a lot of opportunities will arise for you as well. I hate to sound cliche, but if they sound interesting to you, take them! You only get one freshman year experience. A sorority or fraternity might jump out to you, and if you get the opportunity to rush, take it! Just check it out; everything is worth a try! If you love to dance or sing and you see a banner for MCLA's biggest club, Dance Company, or our amazing a Capella group, Allegrettos, go audition! You might find you love it more than you did in high school, even! You could find yourself looking into MCLA's student government association because you feel you want to make a difference. Run for office! Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try to open yourself up to a new, fearless mindset. College is all about spreading your wings, after all.

The most important advice I can give you for your freshman year is to try to find a tight, awesome group of friends and just have fun. There's nothing like going through your first year of college and feeling like you had support and love surrounding you at all times. I know that some colleges just aren't for some people and this won't always happen. But I'm guessing if you've chosen to come to this fine institution of Mass. College of Liberal Arts, you've already felt its charm and radiance of good vibes. Just enjoy your ride here. Freshman year has a tendency to get crazy, but keep friends who make you happy close, stay safe, stay on top of your workload and laugh and dance as much as possible.

From,

Someone who was exactly where you are last year