Congratulations! You made it through your first week of college! For those out there who have made it through their share of first weeks, I also salute you as well. Just think of this as one more step towards graduation and then— the real world. But let’s not think about that last bit just yet as currently the real world seems to be a scary and frightful place. I know this because I’ve been monitoring it on MTV. Let’s just say that I don’t think I’m good looking or easily stereotyped enough for the real world.
Oh well. Such is life. We move on.
Back here in the Dub C, getting that first week out of the way is a big deal. Nothing beats getting a few classes under your belt and putting those awful icebreakers in the rear view.
Seriously, if you are a professor and you are reading this: no icebreakers. Students don’t like them and you don’t like them. So really what’s the point?
I honestly would rather walk into the first day of class and be handed a pop quiz and a ten page research project than have to figure out which animal describes my personality best. Incidentally, that would be a chinchilla, in case you’re wondering.
Another one of my beloved first week rituals is book buying. Oh, yes. I’m sure you love it too. If this was your first go-around with the wonderfully overpriced world of college text books, don’t worry— it only gets worse from here.
When it comes to buying a book, I’m under the impression that its always best to go to the class first. There is nothing worse then buying a book, opening it, taking it to class, losing the receipt and then finding out you don’t need it.
If that happened to you this past week, I feel your pain. I truly do. It’s a hard lesson learned and I have more then my fair share of unused texts floating around my house.
So, you’ve been to class, you’ve purchased your books and you’ve learned a few new names, but where to go from here?
The answer is that you can pretty much do as you please if the law of the land allows. Such is the beauty of college.
For some that will mean coming out to the involvement fair on Wednesday and checking out the vast multitude of clubs and organizations WCU has to offer. For others, it means partying until you can’t remember which direction is up or you find Dane Cook funny. Both are dangerous.
Others may find a happy medium between the two, or blaze their own path entirely.
Lots of people will be yelling at you to get involved on campus this week and its true— there is no better way to feel at home here than to get involved, though it isn’t the only way. You need to find your own way to make college your home away from home. That may mean playing musical chairs with your major or possibly jumping ship from the Dub C entirely.
It’s all part of the process, and what a process it is! Such is the beauty of college. Embrace it in all it’s unnecessarily expensive and totally open ended glory!