You’re a fresh new face on the college campus. A brand new college student, and you’ve just gone from being top of the food chain to the bottom, again. A freshman. College can definitely be hard, especially in the beginning. Doubly so, if you live in the dorms with someone unsavory. But, no worries. Although getting adjusted to your new life as a college student can be rough, it’ll be just as rewarding, if not more so.
Classroom Etiquette
This isn’t high school, and you shouldn’t expect it to be like it either. For one, it’s kind of awkward for an adult to give permission to another adult to go to the bathroom. Just go. It’s natural to raise your hand and ask, since you’ve had to do it all throughout your schooling. No less awkward, though.
Secondly, there will be times when you’ll have good reason to skip class. For example, lots of people are ditching work and class right now to watch March Madness. Maybe you’ll have to catch up on a school project or stay home because you’re sick. You don’t always need to go to class.
It’s rather rude to the professor if you’re taking Chemistry 101 while working on an English project. If you’re sick, you’d be better off resting in bed than trying to attend class, and the other students probably don’t want to catch it or listen to you cough up a lung, either. Be punctual and neat, and respectful to the professor as well. You’ll have less enemies that way.
College Social Life
Ah, speaking of enemies, you’ll get to learn just what college social life is really like. You’ll meet new people and possibly date new people. You’ll make good, new friends and maybe even a few enemies as well. Chances are the word ‘enemy’ is a bit too strong, but it’s inevitable that you’ll meet both types of people during your college life. The kind you love to be around, and the kind you hate the sight of. Hopefully it’ll be more of the former, but getting stuck in the same room as the latter can definitely be a trial in patience and tolerance.
College Dorm Life
Not all colleges have dorms, but they can be a great way to make new friends and, if you haven’t already, experience living away from home. Most of the time, dorms are two people per room. You’ll be living with that person, so you’ll either be friends or enemies. It’s hard to keep the middle ground when you live with them, in a typically small room. Keep it organized, and come to an understanding. The sooner you learn your new roommate sleepwalks, the sooner you can work at a solution. Worst come to worst, you can probably file for a room reassignment or something to similar effect. Your roommate could become your closest, and best, friend though. College is all about learning, about yourself, and about the people around you.
