Since the moment that you graduated high school, all of the adults in your family have been telling you to get ready for the best years of your life, and that college flies by so fast, and you’ll miss it when it is gone ... and all of those things are true.
College is your new home for the next four years, and it is something to always cherish. Freshmen, you may be excited, afraid or anxious for move-in day, but that day will change your life. Prepare for Towson to be your new home, I guarantee that you’ll love every second of it.
1. Get to know your roommate(s) and floormates.
These guys/ladies will be there for you every second of every finals meltdown, late-night party or Netflix-binge-weekend, and they will make your life so, so, SO much better! It is strange to make new friends if you’ve lived in the same town your entire life, but without meeting new people at school, you’ll be lost and lonely. You’ll want some friends to bond with, especially during those first weeks.
2. Find Your “Spot”
This means to find an area on campus where you can sit in peace and chat with friends, eat a quick lunch between classes or study for your big test in an hour. For a lot of people this is the beautiful Freedom Square.
3. Join a Group
Find a club, sorority, fraternity, society, interest group, etc. that appeals to you. You can join as many groups as you want, and the more involved you get with the TU community, the more people you will meet and the more fun you'll have. Meeting people with common interests makes your life at school so much better and more fun!
4. Go to sporting events.
Luckily, fall semester kicks off with football season! Gather your new friends and take a quick walk (or drive) to Johnny Unitas Stadium and watch our amazing Division 1 football team play their butts off. These games are what will make you feel how special the Towson Tiger community really is. Everybody is happy, excited and ready to cheer on their favorite team. To really feel the spirit, learn the “Hail Towson” fight song, ASAP.
5. Uptown funk you up.
Uptown Towson is a godsend in this college-town. Not only does Uptown have a grocery store, the mall, a movie theatre and Barnes & Nobles, it also has Towson Hot Bagels — a place that you will know and love and cherish forever — and an array of restaurants, bars and clubs for those Thursday, Friday, Saturday ... Sunday ... OK, any night of the week is a good night for Uptown. There is even a Snapchat filter, so that's cool.
6. Visit Baltimore.
Towson in barely 20 minutes from “The Greatest City in America” which means there are no excuses not to adventure around your new town! Baltimore has so many small communities to visit, including Belvedere Square, Towson, Canton, Fells Point, Federal Hill, The Inner Harbor, and Hampden. Seriously, go to a Raven's or O's game (on student night, of course!), eat some Old Bay fries and have a drink! This is even more important if you’re not from Maryland.
7. Be a healthy mix of independent and dependent.
It’s totally okay to call home every day just to hear your parents voices and “talk" to your dogs. It’s also okay to venture out on your own or with your new best friends and not tell your parents where you’re going or when you’ll be home. The only approval you need when you go out is whether your outfit is “on fire” or ON FIRE. Do your thing, and live a little because “these are the best years of your life.”
Still need help getting psyched to make Towson your new home? Check out the Towson Lip Dub created by Class of 2014 Alumn, Glory Kim!
