10 Tips for College Freshmen

Now that the Scarsdale High School Class of 2010 has graduated, it’s time to pass on some words of advice they should keep in mind before heading to college.

1. Don’t leave all of your packing until the last minute. You’ve accumulated a lot more stuff over the last 18 years than you think you have.

2. You’re not going to love school immediately. If your friends all say they do, there’s a pretty good chance that a few of them are lying. Although it might seem like it at first, it’s not a competition to see which one of your friends is the happiest.

3. It’s only natural to try to make close friends as quickly as possible so you feel more comfortable. There’s definitely nothing wrong with that but try not to close yourself off from new people. Some of my closest friends I didn’t even meet until second semester.

4. If you love your roommate, that’s great. But, if you are like many people, your roommate will not be your best friend, and that’s fine (even better maybe!). It’s completely okay to get along well with your roommate in the room and not hang out socially. Just as long as you are civil and compatible in your living space, you will have a good experience.

5. Take the time to talk to some upperclassmen and get advice on what classes to take. Try to figure out what professors are the best, what time you can realistically get out of bed in the morning, and how far your classes are from one another.

6. Bring way more pairs of socks and underwear than you could possibly think you need, for a couple of reasons. If you are like me, you will notice over the year that more and more of your socks go missing and coincidentally your roommate is wearing socks that look very familiar to you. Also, unless you run out of clean pairs of underwear, there is truthfully no reason to do laundry. So, if you bring many more pairs than you need, you will suddenly find you are spending much less time in the laundry room.

7. The “Freshman 15” is a very overblown fear. Dining hall selections have many more healthy choices than you would think. The greatest risk is late night desserts and snacks with your friends, but like in the rest of life, anything in moderation is fine.

8. Another overblown fear is being “sexiled.” It’s your room too. If you think your roommate is taking advantage of you, just say something.

9. Bring or buy a printer for your room. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time running to the library to print a paper 10 minutes before it’s due.

10. If you’re homesick, keep in mind almost every other person there is as well. Try to avoid going home often for weekends. Stick it out and suddenly you’ll find that school is your home.

Nell Brodsky is a 2009 alum of Scarsdale High School who just completed her first year at Brown.